Not Your Average Spy: Destruction
by NerdyAdjacent
Summary: Shield!AU. Codename: Lunatic Fringe, Codename: Architect, Codename: Big Dog. Set 6 years after the events of Retribution, Dean has called it quits to take care of his daughter. However, life for the Lunatic Fringe always has a way of coming back to bite him. New threats abound in the final installment of the Not Your Average Spy series. Please Review and let me know what you think!
1. Get Back on that Horse and Ride

**Oh, hey, did I mention this was a trilogy? 'Cause it's a trilogy. The usual rating applies- M for adult themes. Review and let me know what you think!**

* * *

"So, what do you do?" He asked.

She twirled her hair and giggled idiotically and he knew instantly that this wasn't going to work. "I'm a model."

"A model?" He repeated skeptically. Yes, she was a good looking woman, but she didn't seem like model material. Maybe if he saw her without the caked on makeup he would understand. But, in all honestly, he couldn't wait for this night to be over.

He sighed internally. Why did Paige feel the need to set him up on these useless dates? He really had no interest in finding someone to replace his wife. She was irreplaceable in every sense of the word. No one could hold a candle to his Abby. No one.

But he appeased her. Primarily to get her to stop bugging him about it. He could hear her British accented voice now. 'You're still a young man, Dean. Get back on the horse and ride.'

He knew what she was implying, and that's probably why she set him up with a string of overly flirty, touchy-feely women. Sure, it had been a...long time. And it pained him that the last woman he slept with wasn't even his wife, but the leader of the Authority, and all around crazy bitch, Stephanie McMahon, after she brainwashed him into believing he were someone else. He hated her with every fiber in his being, but she got what was coming to her by his own hands. That was 6+ years ago. Wow, it had really been that long?

"Are you even listening to me?"

His attention snapped back to the ditzy blonde who was now eying him incredulously. "Hm?"

She pouted at him and gently, though suggestively, took his hand that was lying on the table. "I think you're a little distracted. Maybe we could go somewhere and get distracted together?"

That was a new one. He couldn't help himself. He laughed, loudly. She pulled her hand away and plopped it in her lap in annoyance. "I'm sorry." He said, still chuckling. "This isn't going to work."

"Honey, I wasn't looking for a long term relationship." She snapped and stood from the table. "I was looking for a good time. Tell Paige I'll call her later."

And, with that, she walked out of the cafe in a huff, out the door before he could even respond. Not that he would have. He was honestly glad she was gone. This was the last date he would let Paige set him up on for sure.

He finished his coffee alone and ignored the people watching him like he had just gotten dumped. Whatever. They could think what they wanted. He had another beautiful woman to go home to anyway, his daughter.

He knew she would have been awake when he walked through the door. She was just like that. For some reason, she couldn't sleep unless she knew he was in the house. It was endearing and sweet, but she paid for it in the morning when she had to get up for school.

She ran to him as soon as she heard the key in the lock, "Daddy!"

He lifted her easily and hugged her tight, "Hi, baby." He said and kissed her cheek. "You should be in bed."

"Uncle Seth let me watch Evil Dead: 2."

Dean eyed Seth, who sat on the couch and shrugged innocently, "She begged me, man."

He shook his head, "Well, that's the last time Uncle Seth plays babysitter."

"I wasn't scared!" She touted in her small voice. "But Uncle Seth covered his eyes."

Dean laughed and put her down. "Go get in bed. I'll come tuck you in in a few minutes."

She motioned for him to come close and he knelt down to her level. She took his face in her small hands and kissed him on his forehead before running off to her room. He watched her go with a stupid grin on his face. He love that little girl with everything he had.

Then he looked at Seth, "Evil Dead? Really? I don't even like those type of movies."

"Hey, she kept asking to watch it." Seth replied with a laugh. "I figure, she's not my kid. I can be a bad influence and just walk away."

"Ok, Just wait until I hop your kid up on candy and soda and return them to you." Dean laughed. "Then it won't be so funny, huh?"

"How was the date?" Seth asked, changing the subject.

Dean sighed and plopped himself down on the couch next to Seth. "No offense to your wife, but please don't let her set me up anymore."

"That bad, huh?"

"She walked out on me."

Seth patted Dean on the shoulder and laughed, "Way to get back out there."

Seth stood from the couch and stretched out his long body before slinging his jacket on and heading for the door. "I'll tell her to back off. Though I'm sure Missy has already called to bitch about you."

"Her name was Missy?" Dean asked with a sarcastic smirk. "I thought it was Becky? or maybe Lindsey?"

Seth rolled his eyes, "Ok, I get it. No more dates. I'll see you later."

Dean didn't even get off the couch as Seth left and closed the door behind him. He sighed again and ran tired hands down his face, letting them linger over his eyes. With his eyes closed, he could see her smiling at him. It was brief, and definitely his tired mind, but he smiled at the memory.

"Daddy!"

He dropped his hands, but the smile remained. "I'm coming, Evy."

He pulled himself from the couch and walked to her bedroom. She was already under the covers when he got there, the sheets pulled up to her face, exposing only her eyes, the ones so much like his own. "Could you check under the bed?"

Dean shook his head, "I'm going to kill your uncle."

* * *

 _ **Moscow, Russia**_

He loved the smell of the cold, Russian whether and took a deep lungful of the crisp air. From his vantage point, he could see the city splayed out before him like a spider's web of people and buildings. People going about their business, unaware of the world around them. He loved that they were so innocent, though, in Moscow, no one was really ever truly innocent. It was the nature of the beast.

"Can we get started?" He heard spoken behind him and he turned away from the broken window. "I'm freezing my ass off."

"Yes, let's." He said, surprised at his own accented English. He didn't speak it very often, but when he did it felt foreign and strange. But, he couldn't expect this stupid American to learn Russian, now could he?

He continued, "I have learned that the Authority's hold in America has been wiped out. By one man?"

"Dean Ambrose had killed Hunter Helmsley and his wife." The American answered with a nod. "Granted, I don't blame the man. They really fucked him up."

"What has become of him?"

"No one really knows." He answered with a shrug. "He sort of fell off the map after his wife died. Why?"

"I have my reasons for asking." The larger man stated simply and changed the subject. "I have interest in taking up where Helmsley left off. I would like to expand my operation to America. You are going to help me do it."

"You want to take over the Authority?"

He shook his head, "the Authority was doomed to fail and I believe I would be hard pressed to find anyone loyal to that name. I want to make something new, better. I believe my product would have those stupid Americans in the palm of my hand."

The American huddled deeper into his coat and shuffled uncomfortably as he mulled over the proposition. "What's in it for me?"

"Money...women...isn't that enough?"

He thought about it and nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Are we done here?"

"We're done." He answered and the American made a move to leave, But he called after him, "See what you can dig up on this Dean Ambrose as well."

The American nodded and left.

Rusev was coming to America.


	2. At Least in Dreams

Buzz, buzz...

Buzz, buzz…

Deans eye cracked open and he groaned. His neck was stiff and sore and his long legs hung over the end of Evy's small twin bed. She asked him to lay with her until she fell asleep and he must have dozed off too. She laid in the crook of his arm, her little fingers wrapped in his shirt, much like her mother used to do, sleeping soundly. He didn't have the heart to wake her to climb out of her bed.

Buzz, buzz…

Buzz, buzz…

He dug into his pocket for his phone and looked at the screen only to sigh. It was texts from Paige. ' _Missy said she'd go out with you again.'_ And ' _She also said you were hot.'_

He quickly typed back. ' _She walked out on me, but wants a round two? Pass.'_

' _C'mon, Dean!'_

' _No. Didn't your husband talk to you about this yet? No more dates.'_

' _Fine. I just worry about you.'_

' _Thanks, but I'm okay.'_

After typing that final text, he turned his phone off and slowly attempted to climb out of Evy's bed, careful to not wake her. She stirred slightly and gripped his shirt tighter. He smiled and kissed her on her forehead as he gently unwound her fingers. "I have you, right baby?" He whispered to her and tucked her sheets around her as he climbed off the bed. He glanced at her innocent form and smiled again. "I don't need anyone else."

He turned off her lamp and closed the door, leaving it open a crack like he did every night, before going to his own bedroom. He flipped the light on and sighed sadly at the large bed he used to share with Abby. Six years later and he still missed her as much as ever. Her death played out in his head everyday of his life. The way she clung to his hand, how it went limp when she couldn't hold on any longer. If it weren't for his daughter, he supposed he would have joined her. Life was nothing without her smile. He could take physical pain, but sometimes memories were the worst form of torture.

After everything, he couldn't be an agent for HQ anymore. It was too much for him, too much to experience everyday. Besides, the life of an agent is a dangerous one and he had another life to care for now. He promised. So he quit. He took security jobs here and there, but Regal made sure he was taken care of. He even set up a college fund for Evy in her mother's honor. He never mentioned it to anyone else and never made a big fuss, but Dean was eternally grateful to the man to took him off the streets and gave him purpose.

He shook off his jacket and threw it onto a chair, followed by his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers on as he climbed into bed and turned off the light. With a sigh, he turned onto his side and gripped a pillow to his chest as he drifted off to sleep.

He dreamt about her every night. It was a solace to know that, at least in his dreams, she was there with him. Tonight was no different:

 _He was walking through his home and could hear her laughing. He remembered her laugh like it were embedded in his brain. He thanked any God that was listening for that. He turned the corner into the livingroom and saw her tickling Evy. He watched them for a long moment and sighed contentedly. This was what he hoped heaven would be._

 _She saw him and smiled and he responded with his own grin. "Daddy's home!" She said to their daughter, who ran to him. He picked her up and her arms snaked around his neck. Abby stood and walked to him. She was wearing white. She was always wearing white. It caught the light of the sun as it streamed in from the windows and gave her a look of ethereal beauty._

" _Hi Dean." She said to him with a happy smile._

" _Hi darlin'."_

 _He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her close. His family, together. At least in dreams. He didn't care whether it was real or not, he was happy. She beamed up at him and he leaned down to kiss her gently on the lips. He could still feel hers on his, a feeling he hoped to never forget. Not again. Not ever._

That's when his alarm went off. He opened his bleary eyes only to cover them with his arm. He wished for five more minutes in the dream. Just five. He never got those five minutes.

He pulled himself from the bed and glanced at his watch. 6am. He needed to get Evy up and to school in an hour. She would fight him the entire morning, again mirroring his own stubborn nature, but eventually she would comply. But first he needed to get himself fully awake.

He stretched his long arms over his head and his bones and muscles creaked and protested against the movement. Years of being an agent took its toll when you weren't one anymore. He especially had to stretch out his shoulder, the very same one dislocated at the warehouse when The Authority tortured him for three days. His leg was no different, thanks to the gunshot wound courtesy of Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Quickly he completed 100 sit-ups and 100 push-ups, shadow boxed, and stretched some more. He would go to the gym later to do more intensive exercise. Sometimes he missed being an agent, the fighting, the missions, the life. Then he looked at his daughter and that all went away. He dressed and went to wake her up.

She was still sleeping soundly when he walked into her room. Somehow, she always managed to get herself into strange positions. That was definitely a trait she got from her mother. Abby was always kicking him in the middle of the night as she tossed and turned. Currently her head was at the foot of the bed while her left foot rested on her pillow and her right dangled over the side. The blankets were in the middle of the floor, along with the stuffed yorkie Paige had bought her. She affectionately named it PooPoo.

"Evy, wake up." He said loudly. She groaned and turned over to face the wall. And so it began. "Evy. Let's go."

"Five more minutes, daddy." She squeaked out.

"No. Wake up."

Another groan and an angry huff.

"Evyline Ambrose."

She turned over again, this time to face him. She was glaring at him and he knew she wasn't happy. Tough. He gave her that angry look all dads seem to have when they are trying to get their kids to do something. Or so he supposed. At least that what he saw tv dads doing. He never knew his own parents.

She groaned again and rolled off her bed. He stood there to make sure she wouldn't slip back under the covers. She didn't. She huffed past him and went into the bathroom. Once he heard the sink, he went into the kitchen to make her breakfast and himself coffee.

She came out to the kitchen 10 minutes later, still half asleep, but dressed in her hot pink leggings, purple boots, and black dress. The fashion sense of a six year old. "Daddy, will you braid my hair?"

He remembered the first time she asked him that and he spent an hour on YouTube trying to figure out how to twist three strands of hair together into something that didn't look like a tangled rat's nest. It took a few tries, but he got pretty good at it. He even learned how to French braid. He hoped other single fathers of daughters knew this stuff too.

She sat in her chair and ate her oatmeal while he braided her curls down the back of her head. "Did you finish your homework last night with Uncle Seth?"

She nodded, "Yeah. But he said he didn't understand the new math system."

"Well, your uncle was never good at math, so I'm not shocked."

"What was he good at?"

Dean laughed. He was good at fighting and drinking until Paige came along. They all were, then life happened. So he lied, "he was good at history."

"No he wasn't, daddy." She replied. Yup, she had her mother's gift. She could always tell when he was lying.

"He was good at fighting." He said truthfully and she smiled.

"Will you teach me how to fight like you, uncle Ro, and uncle Seth did?"

He stopped braiding, the question catching him off guard. "One day, baby."

She finished her breakfast and he tied off the braid. Within ten minutes, he had her piled in his truck with her pink camouflage book bag slung over her shoulder. The school was only a 10 minute drive. He pulled into the parent drop off and he could see all the moms turn and grin when his black jeep approached. He sighed. Every morning someone would inevitably hit on him.

He parked and walked around to let her out of the backseat and tried to ignore the eyes on him. He lifted her down and kissed her on the cheek before kneeling to her level. "I love you very much." He said with a grin. "Now, what did I tell you?"

"No fighting."

"And?"

"If I must fight, let them swing first."

"And?"

"Don't tuck my thumb in when I punch."

"Good girl." He kissed her one more time and she ran off to join her classmates.

The mom in the car next to his, a flat white van, walked over to his side after her son ran past him. "You're so good with her."

He smiled nicely at her, though silently wished she would leave him alone. "Yeah, well, she makes it easy."

"So, is there a Mrs. Ambrose that helps you out?" She asked, obviously flirting.

"She died when Evy was born." He answered and she backed up a bit.

"Oh...I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I had no idea."

He waved her off, "It's ok. It was a long time ago."

It was a lie, it wasn't ok, but he wasn't going to tell her that. That was reserved for the quiet moments when he was alone, when all he had were his memories of her.

He offered her a friendly goodbye and climbed into his jeep, only to watch Evy bounce happily as she talked to her friends.

God he loved that little girl.

* * *

 **I like writing a domesticated Dean. It's such a change from how I've written him before. Do enjoy the fluff for now, you know it won't last.**


	3. Moscow in the Summer

The rest of his day unfolded like it usually did. A trip to the gym for a few hours, a bit of grocery shopping, a Starbucks salted caramel latte, and a quick trip home to clean up and put things away. It was mundane compared to taking out war lords and crooked corporations, and he found it boring at times, but he wouldn't trade his life now for anything.

He was at the school to pick up Evy at three, just like everyday. Today, his daughter stood at the curb waiting for him with a women he didn't recognize. The overprotective father in him tensed up and the spy in him subconsciously thought of ways to eliminate the threat. The rational human being recognized that this was probably one of her teachers who wanted to talk to him. She smiled sweetly as he put the car in park and exited. Evy immediately ran to him and he lifted her up into a hug.

"Mr. Ambrose?" She asked in a sweet voice. She was young, blonde, and petite with a sweet comforting voice that instantly put him at ease. She held her hand out to him. "I'm Ms. Young, Evy's new teacher."

He took her hand and shook it once, "What happened to Ms. Banks?"

She laughed a little, "She's off on her honeymoon. It's Mrs. now."

"Oh." He said and put Evy down but she kept a hold of his hand. "Is there a problem?"

"Well…"

"Was she fighting again?" He interrupted quickly. "Because I've talked to her about that."

Ms. Young shook her head, "No, nothing like that. I've been reading up on my new students and I've noticed a pattern with her test scores."

"Are they bad?"

"No. Actually, it's the opposite." She answered with a laugh. "Your daughter has tested very high in cognitive reasoning, reading, math, and science. I'd say she'd be a candidate to skip a grade if you wanted her too."

He looked at her, confused, "So, you're saying my daughter is a genius?"

"Well, more testing would say for sure."

A tug on his hand drew his attention down. Evy was looking up at him with her little eyes pleading, "Can we go home now?"

Ms. Young smiled and apologized for taking so much of his time. She shook his hand one more time and he offered her a smile. A genuine smile. She was a sweet lady and he watched her longer then he probably should have as Evy's tug on his hand got stronger. "Daddy, c'mon!"

He piled her into the backseat and buckled her in before he himself got in the driver's seat and started the engine.

"Daddy, Ms. Young was looking at you funny." She said from the backseat as he drove and he caught a glimpse of her smiling in the rear view mirror. "I think she likes you."

"I just met her, baby." He responded with his own grin. "She was being nice."

She didn't press the matter any further, but he did seem to catch a flirty vibe from the new teacher. For once, he found himself not minding so much. She was pretty, friendly, and seemed to genuinely care about his daughter's well being. He suddenly felt guilty for those thoughts and pushed them out of his mind.

After parking the jeep and shuffling his daughter out, he went to open the front door and stopped. Froze in his tracks as he stared at the slightly ajar opening that greeted him. No. No. No. This couldn't be happening. There was someone in the house.

"Daddy?" Evy said at his side and clung to his arm more tightly. She was scared.

He felt the cool metal at the base of his skull and knew exactly what it was. He gripped Evy tight and held her close as the assailant gave the gun a little shove. "You are a hard man to find, Dean." He said.

"Look, let me take my daughter to the neighbors." Dean said calmly, glancing down at Evy's frightened face. "Then we can talk...whoever you are."

"Get inside." The gunman growled. "Both of you."

With another little shove, Dean pushed open the door and directed Evy through, all the while keeping a tight grip on her hand. The gun never left his head as the gunman quickly closed the front door and locked it.

Dean's mind immediately began racing. His first and only priority was making sure Evy was safe. Right now, she wasn't. With the gun nozzle pressed firmly to his head, there wasn't much he could do but comply as the assailant moved them to the couch and instructed him to sit.

Dean turned and got the first good look at the man who had the audacity to put a gun to his head in front of his daughter. His lips curled over his teeth in a growl when He recognized him. He knew exactly who he worked for, and he knew exactly what he was capable of. "Mike Mizanin."

He motioned for Dean to sit with a wave of the gun and He complied, all the while glaring daggers on the man, Codenamed 'Miz'. Evy ran to him and buried herself in his chest. He gripped onto her tight, shielding her face as best he could from the scene unfolding. Miz pulled a pair of cuffs from his pocket and handed them to Dean. "Put those on."

He glared at the metal rings dangling from Miz's gloved hand, but made no move to take them. "Not until you let me get her out of here. Then I'll do whatever you want."

"No dice, lunatic." Miz countered with a smug grin. "She's seen too much. She's coming too."

"No." Dean snapped. "She is not getting dragged into whatever this is. She's only 6."

Miz pulled the hammer back on the pistol and Dean and Evy tensed. "You can do what I told you, or she can watch me shoot you in the head. Your choice."

Dean hesitated again, but Miz was a patient man and stood waiting for him to make a choice. With another growl, he snatched the cuffs and attached them to his wrists.

"Tighter." Miz instructed, obviously wise to Deans tricks. Again he complied and wrapped his cuffed arms around his daughter again.

He remembered Miz very well, but it had been over a decade since the last time he saw the man. He used to be an agent for HQ but got greedy and started running side jobs for nasty people and organizations. One of those nasty organizations supposedly killed him. Apparently their Intel at the time had been incorrect, otherwise he wouldn't be standing in his livingroom pointing a gun in his face.

"What do you want?" Dean growled, baring his teeth at the pompous man smiling at him.

"Dean, Dean, Dean. Cutting right to the chase, huh?" Miz laughed. "No hello? No 'how you been, Miz?'"

Dean shook his head in amazement. Miz really was full of himself. "You come into my house, threaten me and my daughter, and expect a welcoming party?"

Miz shrugged, "Look, I'm only here to collect you and the kid. My employer wants to talk to you."

"Your employer?"

Miz raised an eyebrow and grinned, obviously not going to give up the name of whoever had sent him. A sound drew Dean's attention and there was suddenly 4 more armed men in his living room. "Time to go."

"Where are we going?"

Miz raised an amused eyebrow, "You'll like Moscow in the summer."

* * *

Yes, it's the Miz. Look, I killed off all the good bad guys, so I may be scraping the barrel a bit haha. Also, before anyone gets up in arms, I can promise you right now that nothing and no one will physically hurt or abuse evy. I'm not that sadistic. However, everyone else is fair game.

 **Smalls** , I can totally dig that nickname. And I agree, Dean would totally be a DILF. **Sebastianm101** , it was a good thought, but no Abby is definitely gone. Thanks for the review :)! **Sass-cupcake** , glad you liked it! **Nangel4** , hopefully this one won't be as bad as the last, but sometimes I don't even know where the story is gonna go until I start typing. **MsConCon** , yup, Rusev! But there's more. Always more! Thanks for the review! And **Lakeishachestnut** , thanks for the review! I hope you all like the last installment as it progresses!


	4. I'm Ok, Baby

' _Hey man. Haven't heard from you in a few days. Everything alright?'_

Seth felt like he had texted those words more than once to Dean's phone. Looking back in his log, he was proven correct. It wasn't like Dean to ignore a text, he was usually pretty good about making sure he responded. Maybe something was wrong with his phone, but Seth couldn't shake the feeling that something may be wrong. Then again, it could be nothing. Past experience, however, dictated that if it feels like something may be up, it usually was.

"Hey." He heard from behind him and he swiveled in his chair to face Nikki Bella. She handed him a file and he took it with a quick thank you. "You alright? You look like somethings eating at you."

He nodded, fully intending on brushing it off as nothing, but stopped himself. "I have been trying to text Dean for two days. He hasn't responded."

"Don't you guys keep tabs on him?" She asked with a laugh, causing Seth to roll his eyes. "Just pull up Romans little security system and look."

"He asked us to stop, so we did." Seth replied flatly.

"Then go over there." She offered and Seth mulled it over. Dean only lived about a half hour away so it would be nothing for him to pop by. He'd done it before. He gave her a quick nod and stood to leave. "You're going now?!"

He turned and looked at his watch. It was only 10am. Dean should be back from the gym. "Is there a reason not to go now?"

"Yeah, we have a meeting with Regal in 20 minutes about the chatter out of Russia." She said and he cursed. He forgot about that meeting. He couldn't miss it, Regal would be pissed. Besides, the threat out of Russia had been growing pretty steadily in the last month or two but no names had been deciphered in the coded chatterings of a few splinter cell Russian agencies. Seth assumed Regals plan would be to send in some agents, probably he and Nikki, to recon and assess. He'd been to Moscow before and never could bring himself to like it much. Personal preference. Paige was not going to be happy he was leaving again, but she knew the nature of the business they both worked for.

Seth couldn't miss that meeting because of a bad feeling, so he pushed it aside for now. He'd stop by after.

* * *

"Daddy, I'm scared."

He offered her a small, reassuring smile and pulled her closer to him as best he could with the limited movements his cuffed wrists provided. "I know, baby." He said, kissing her gently on the top of her head and she huddled into his chest.

Two days. They had been cramped on this sticky cargoship for two days with a bunch of sailors and armed men watching them round the clock. At least they didn't shove them in the brig like he had expected. No, Miz seemed to prefer to keep Dean where he could see him, keep an eye on him. Miz may be an asshole, but he wasn't stupid. He knew, if left to his own devices, Dean would easily think of an escape plan because that's how Miz remembered Dean, the agent who earned his codename. No, he was always within eyeshot of the Lunatic Fringe and his daughter.

Thankfully, they hadn't hurt either of them, preferring to keep them sitting together on the metal floor, against a corner wall, while everyone else bustled around them, going about their business. In fact, all things considered, they had been treated fairly well. He knew, had he not been holding a frightened six year old, that may have been different. His past experience with kidnappers wasn't exactly hunky dory. But, they were fed, offered blankets during the colder night hours, and even provided a few toys to occupy Evy. She ignored all of them, preferring to cuddle against her father or in his lap.

Dean held her close as she wrapped and unwrapped her fingers in his t-shirt, but he kept one eye on Miz. He had been watching the pair with interest this morning as he talked to some of the men he had brought with him as guards or muscle - Dean wasn't sure which. All he knew was that they were eying him differently. Something was up and it worried him. Knowing Miz, he wouldn't have to wait long to find out what that was. For now, they whispered in the corner, glancing at him here and there, planning, or plotting, something he was sure he wouldn't like.

"Where are we going?" Evy asked him quietly.

"Russia." He answered. Like her mother, there was really no point in trying to lie to her, even if it was to comfort. "Did you learn about Russia yet?"

She shook her head against him, pressing her ear to his heart. He wondered if the gentle thumping comforted her as she had been doing that pretty often. "Have you been there before?"

"Yes." He said simply. She didn't need to know that the last time he was in Moscow, he had been stabbed in the arm to protect Seth from a militant that they had shot moments before, one who they thought was dead, one who apparently wasn't. Roman had shot him in the head after Dean pushed him off. It was gruesome, the life he lived before Evy, and at the time, he lived for every second of it. Now? Now he would tell her stories of his exploits, leaving out the terrible things he and his partners had done. She got the Disney version of his life as an agent and she idolized him for it. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do as a parent, but he was a single father with limited experience outside of being a spy. He simply did the best he could with what he had.

Evy tensed against his chest and he was drawn out of his musings. Someone approached him, but it wasn't Miz. It was a woman, one he had seen here and there walking about. She was tall and thin with black hair she kept in a braid down her back. She was definitely Russian, he could tell by the accent as she spoke. He assumed she was part of the ship's crew, but he couldn't be sure.

"Is she your daughter?" She asked in perfect English. He wasn't going to answer her at first, but her blue eyes seemed kind and a touch concerned. All he did was nod. "She looks like you...in the eyes." She continued with a sweet smile. Then she regarded Evy, who seemed to relax slightly against him. "I know the captain keeps some chocolate in his office. Would you like some?"

Evy hesitated, but she didn't seem scared of this woman like she had been with everyone else. And to Dean's surprise, rather than give her a yes or no answer, his daughter asked her own question. "What's your name?"

The woman's sweet smile widened, "My name is Anna, little one." Then she regarded Dean again. He was glaring at her and her smile seemed to falter slightly. He didn't trust her sweet smile or caring nature. He knew everyone had an ulterior motive and he wondered what hers might be. "What are you doing?" He asked her, skeptical of her kindness.

"It is a long trip to Russia." She answered, the smile still present. "For anyone, let alone a child. I just want to make her more comfortable." Then she squeezed his arm slightly, reassuringly, comfortingly before looking back at the child in his arms. "I will see what I can do about that chocolate, yeah?"

Then she stood and walked away, but not before winking at him. He sighed and rested his head back against the hull. "I like her." Evy said from his lap.

"Don't trust anyone on this ship except me." He stated more harshly than he had anticipated. He didn't want her getting comfortable with anyone, not even the pretty Russian lady who offered her chocolate.

She tensed up again in his lap and rightfully so. Dean glanced down as Miz pulled up a chair and flipped it around so he could straddle it as he looked at Dean. He was smiling, which probably wasn't a good thing. "I wonder, Lunatic," he began, an insult playing on his lips as he spat the word _lunatic_. "How rusty are you? I mean, you've been out of the game for six years, right? Can you still fight like I remember?"

Dean didn't respond, but intensified his glare as he began to realize what Miz was hinting at.

Miz seemed to wait for an answer, hoping to goad Dean into saying something he would probably regret. When that didn't happen, he pressed further. "You were always pretty good at hand to hand fighting, maybe even one of the best. I guess being a street dog will do that to you. Have you kept up with that skill?"

"My daddy can kick your butt!" Evy perked up from his lap and glared at Miz, mirroring his own intenseness.

"Evy!" He scolded, trying to reel in his angry daughter.

She ignored him as she slipped out of his arms and tried to get at Miz, who was laughing at this point. "You're a bad man! My daddy beats up bad guys like you!"

"Evy! No!" Dean somehow managed to get a hand around her arm and pulled her back toward him, holding her there the best he could with his cuffed hands.

"She definitely is your child." Miz laughed, "An instigator, just like her father. Do you remember the time we fought in training and you left me bleeding on the floor after two minutes? I thought I was pretty good back then, but I was nothing against the scrapper from the streets of Cincinnati. I wasn't used to street dog tactics, but I've gotten much better."

"Just spit it out, Miz!" Dean snapped, tired of this beating around the bush crap. "What are you getting at?"

Miz sighed, happy with himself that he had finally gotten a reaction out of Dean. "The boys and I are bored. We're proposing a little rematch."

It was Dean's turn to laugh, "You want me to fight you? Because you're bored? No."

"Kick his ass, daddy!" Evy snapped next to him and his head shot to look at her.

"Evy! Where did you learn that?"

"Uncle Seth."

Miz laughed loudly, "Your buddy is a bad influence."

"Regardless, I'm not fighting you."

Miz shook his head, "I thought you'd say that."

Miz motioned to a few men standing off to the side and they immediately advanced toward him. Dean knew what they were going to do and he didn't want Evy to see them grab him and force him. So he held up his hands and they stopped moving, "Stop!"

"Change of heart?" Miz asked with a grin.

"What about my daughter?" He asked.

"You don't want her to see her daddy beaten down?" Miz countered with a chuckle.

"I'll watch her." Anna, the sweet woman with the black hair said suddenly. No one had even seen her approach, but there she was, eyeing Miz angrily.

Miz grinned wider, "It's settled then!"

Anna held out her hand for Evy, but Dean turned her to look at him first. "Do you remember what I told you about fighting?"

She nodded. "Don't do it."

"Forget that." he said. "If it comes down to it, fight, run, and hide. Do you understand?"

Again she nodded just as they lifted him to his feet. He pushed her gently toward Anna and nodded his thanks to her as she took Evy by the hand and led her away. He kept his eyes on her for as long as he could before he was sucker punched in the jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. "Told you I learned a few things." Miz said as he shook out his right hand.

The men around him laughed and Dean rubbed the sore spot. "You aren't even going to uncuff me are you?"

"Think of it like a handicap." Miz answered. "C'mon, you're Dean Fricking Ambrose! This should be nothing for you to handle."

Miz went to kick Dean in the face, but the Lunatic Fringe managed to catch his boot and twist, sending Miz off balance. He pulled himself to his feet quickly and, balling both hands into one tight fist, he swung down on the left side of Miz's face. He fell to the floor and Dean put a foot on the back of his neck to hold him there. "Looks like I beat my own two minute record."

Miz growled from his prone position and got an arm wrapped around Dean's ankle, twisting awkwardly. He cried out at the sudden strain and released his foot. Miz capitalized quickly and, once on his feet, launched himself into Dean's midsection, knocking them both into cargo boxes stored off to the side and the wind from his lungs. He had no time to recover as Miz was on top of him, landing punch after punch to the side of Dean's head. He managed to get his cuffed hands up to protect his face, but Miz was relentless. Somehow he got a foot up and kicked Miz in the back of the head, sending him tumbling off of him and giving him a much needed chance to regroup. He could feel blood dripping from his nose, which was confirmed when he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

Miz rubbed his head and shook out his hazy brain before laying eyes on Dean again. "Well, maybe you aren't as rusty as I thought."

Dean pulled himself to his feet just as Miz lunged for him again. This time he kept his footing and landed two handed blows to his opponents back, trying to drive him to his knees. But Miz pushed him back until he connected with the wall behind him. With one hand in Dean's shirt, he reeled the other back with every intention of punching him square in the nose. Dean managed to slide out of the way and Miz's knuckled connected with the metal hull. He screamed and clutched at what was now probably a broken wrist.

Dean used the distraction to kick up with his knee to the man's groin. The broken wrist now forgotten, Miz doubled over in agony, clutching his bruised manhood.

"Never underestimate a street dog." Dean said with a grin before pushing Miz over. It didn't take much effort.

Evy ran to him and he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up as her little arms clutched onto him tight. She was crying, but holding up surprisingly well. "I'm ok, baby." He said, kissing her.

"I'm ok."

* * *

 **Who doesn't want to knee Miz in the Balls? Thanks for all the reviews! No Lie, you all are awesome. Keep 'em coming!**


	5. Cargo

_Cincinnati, Ohio - 2003_

 _He had watched the man exit his very nice Porsche, one that would guarantee him at least a few grand in scrap alone. With that kind of cash, he could finally get out of this god forsaken city and move on. Sure he was born here, but what had the state ever done for him but kick him out of the orphanage once he turned 18? Nothing, that's what. Left to fend for himself, it was no surprise that his particular skills lead to a life on the streets. The orphanage employees called it being a thief, Dean liked to think of it as taking what he was owed._

 _He learned very quickly that no one was going to take care of him but himself, so he adapted. It started small, a toy here and a snack there, but escalated to stealing valuables and other items that he would hoard, not really sure what to do with them. Once the other kids found out, they cornered him and would beat the shit out of him whenever they got the chance. Even the staff would take to physical discipline when needed. That's when he hearted to defend himself, fight back when necessary. And he got pretty damn good at it._

 _But, it was only a matter of time before he fell in with the wrong crowd, started stealing from freight trucks and parked cars before pawning the item for cash. It wasn't long before he graduated to grand theft auto, stealing high end cars, taking them to his so called friends to scrap, and pocketing a cut of the profits._

 _Which led him to the very pretty, black Porsche Boxter sitting unattended in front of the government building. The man who exited it was older, but looked like he wasn't unfamiliar with a fight or two. As an 18 year old, Dean figured if he couldn't take the old man, he could at least outrun him if it came down to it._

 _Once the owner was safely in the building, Dean extinguished his cigarette against the brick wall and walked nonchalantly to the cars drivers side. He realized pretty quickly that as long as you look like you're supposed to be there, people tended to leave you alone, so he smiled and waved at passers by, who just kept on walking as he slipped the Jimmy bar from his jacket, pressed it between the window edge and door, and shimmied the door unlocked. It was so easy it was almost laughable._

 _He opened the door and quickly slipped into the drivers seat, marveling at the German engineering that went into this car - leather seats, state of the art console, CD player, and plenty of cup holders. This was the type of car he could see himself owning someday. Maybe Big Eddy would let him at least keep the hood ornament. Probably not. He had tried that once before only to be punished enough for him to have to self stitch his chin. It wasn't pleasant._

 _He went to work unscrewing the driver's side console and pulled it off, revealing the car's electrical system. His practiced eye quickly found the correct wires, he stripped the ends with his pocketknife, and touched the exposed copper to each other. After a few sparks, the vehicle sprang to life and Dean grinned. Easy as pie. He almost felt sorry for the old man...almost._

 _He put the Porsche in gear, hit the gas, and stalled out. "What the fuck?" He said to himself, checking he had done it correctly. Everything seemed right, but something was stalling the engine. Suddenly, the doors locked around him and the power shut down. Panicking, he unlocked the door and pulled on the handle. Nothing happened. He slid over and tried the passenger door with the same result. "Fuck!" He spat._

 _A tap on the window drew his attention and his stomach dropped. It was the older man, grinning at him as if he knew something Dean didn't. "It was a valiant effort, young man." He said in a smug British accent._

" _Fuck you, dude!" Dean spat back angrily. "Let me out and you'll never see me again!"_

" _I will." He replied with a smile. "Once the cops get here."_

 _Again Dean's stomach dropped, but an appeasing grin spread across his face. "C'mon man, you don't want to call the cops. No harm done, right? How about we just forget this whole thing happened and move on?"_

 _The older man's smile widened. He was amused with Dean, he could tell that much, but he had no intention of releasing Dean. So, like any teenager would, he played to the man's sympathies. One talent he picked up was the ability to cry on command. The water works usually did the trick. "They're gonna kill me if I get arrested again!" He cried. "Don't do this to me, man! Have a heart!"_

 _This time the man openly laughed as sirens began approaching. "You're very good, I'll give you that."_

 _A few hours later, Dean sat in the precincts holding cell, pissed off that this had happened. He was usually pretty good at avoiding the fuzz, but he supposed his luck ran out. They'd probably send him to jail for the number of warrants out for his arrest and he didn't know how he would survive in prison, not with his boyish good looks._

 _The jailer opened his cell and he eyed the man who entered after him. It was the same old man who he had tried to steal the car from. He sighed and rolled his eyes at his smug grin. "Look man, I'm sorry I tried to jack your Porsche, do you really need to come gloat about getting me arrested?"_

 _He shook his head, "I'm not here to gloat. I'm here to offer you a job."_

 _Dean laughed, "Yeah, okay. You think I'm stupid?"_

" _Actually, Mr. Ambrose, I'm very aware of your intelligence. It's not every day you see a genius level car thief, especially not one to get far enough into my car to start it. Why haven't you made something of yourself rather than resort to theft?"_

 _Dean shook his head, but continued to grin incredulously, "You really have no clue how this city works for people like me, do you? Opportunities aren't exactly falling from the sky, you know."_

 _The man grinned, "I'm offering you one. I run a very secret organization that needs new, younger recruits. You, have caught my eye. I'd like you to come to Florida and train. Three will be selected to move onto covert operations under my direction. It won't be easy, and it won't be fun, but it would lead to bigger and better things. Your criminal record would be expunged and you can start fresh. However, I need an answer now."_

" _Are you offering for me to be a spy?" Dean asked with a chuckle. "Seriously, dude, who are you?"_

" _You have thirty seconds to answer, then you will never see me again." The man said. "If you say no, my advice to you would be to make sure you relax when they bend you over, I hear it hurts if you fight it."_

" _So it's either go to jail or join your little club?" Dean asked, swallowing his anxiety down. The other man nodded. Dean only had to think for a second before he accepted. "I'm in."_

* * *

Deans eyes snapped open at the memory. Why had his meeting with Regal all those years ago popped into his head? Maybe it was because that one moment lead to so much more that he would have never expected for himself. He was the live fast, die young type from the get go, but priorities change. His number one priority was curled up in his lap, bundled in the blankets they were provided as he held her tightly against his chest. She was sleeping soundly, again wrapping and unwrapping his shirt between her fingers. A quick look around and he sighed tiredly. They were still on this god forsaken ship.

It was cold that night, surprisingly so. He had given up his blanket to Evy as it was more important that she stay warm. Yet, he found himself pulling her closer and shivering against the cold metal hull. A few of Miz's men, the ones meant to keep him in his place, saw him and grinned at his discomfort. Bastards. He tried to ignore them, but that didn't negate from the fact that he was cold. He was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans, not expecting to be kidnapped and shipped off to Russia on such short notice.

A swath of fabric suddenly fell across his shoulders and he looked up. Anna, the nice woman from before had placed a blanket over him. Any other person and he would have refused, unwilling to show any weakness in front of his captors. But she smiled down at him and he thanked her. He pulled at the scratchy fabric as best he could with a sleeping child and cuffed wrists hindering his movement and he heard a small giggle from her.

She knelt down and arranged the blanket around his shoulders more efficiently. "Let me help."

He let her do it, even leaning forward so she could pull it down over his back. When she finished, she lingered there, watching him arrange Evy in a more comfortable position. She stirred and groaned slightly, but quickly drifted off again. "Thank you." He whispered.

"They would have preferred you freeze. He said that would teach you for making a fool of him." She said simply. "That's just not fair."

"Well, fair is relative." He replied with a small grin. "Especially when you're here against your will in the first place."

"I hear them call you lunatic, what does that mean?" She asked with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

He thought a moment, not really sure if, or even how, he should answer that. He could tell her He earned his codename by being the guy to do anything that was needed, anything, even if it meant sacrificing his own body, safety, or life. He could tell her he was an ask questions later sort of guy. He could tell her he was a man willing to scratch your eyes out. He could have told her the truth. But he simply told her, "It's complicated."

She seemed to accept the answer for what it was and gave him a small, polite nod. She seemed as if she was about to move away, but Dean had questions of his own, "Why are you being so nice to us? No one else has."

She smiled sadly at him and repeated his own answer. "It's complicated."

He smiled back slightly, realizing there was a good reason behind her sad expression. He didn't want to press her to re-live some experience that gave her that face, a face he knew all too well because he had seen it in the mirror every day since Abby died. She had lost someone.

He decided to change the subject, "How much do you know about what is going to happen?"

He face changed and he knew instantly that she had information he needed, but she was conflicted. She wanted to tell him, but she couldn't for whatever reason. "I'm sorry." She said suddenly and stood to walk away. "I have to go."

"Wait." He called after her. "I'm sorry. Look, I'm just afraid for my daughter. I don't know what's going to happen and I just want her to be safe. I don't care what happens to me. Just tell me, is she safe?"

Then, his worst fears were realized when she shook her head. She again knelt down to his level, looking around to make sure no one was watching her. She leaned in close once satisfied in her own paranoia. "Rusev." She whispered to him like he was supposed to know what that meant. "Rusev wants something from you and he is not above using any leverage he can. I know this because otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

"What does he have on you?"

Her blue eyes met his own and began to tear up slightly though it was fear he saw dancing there, not sadness. "My son." She answered. "He is about her age."

"Listen," he said slowly, steady as the training he had been givers years ago began to take hold. "I promise, I'll help you get your son back."

"Why would you do that for me?"

He smiled at her genuinely, "Because I can think of nothing worse than losing a child."

a tear fell from her eye and she wiped it away quickly before nodding her thanks. "We'll be docking soon. Just hang in there, okay?"

* * *

William Regal handed Seth a file as he talked about their next mission. "It's our understanding that there is a new cell out of Russia looking to assimilate into the US. Obviously, I don't need to tell you how dangerous this could be."

Seth scanned the file. It was a small biography on a man that went only by the name Rusev. There was a photo of the brute of a man. He was scowling up from the picture and Seth knew he wasn't one to take lightly. According to the bio, he was smart, cunning, and brutal. He was sent to a Russian Gulag in serbia for killing 13 people in an hour. All with his bare hands. He was obviously not someone you messed with.

"You two are going in immediately." The CO continued. "There's reports of a ship docking within a day or two with a cargo that Rusev is keen to get his hands on."

"What's the cargo?" Nikki asked.

Regal shrugged, "Unknown. That's what I want you two to find out. You two are to intercept the ship at port. Find the cargo and report back as quietly as possible. I don't want to raise any alarm bells just yet."

Nikki and Seth both nodded. Looks like they were going to Russia. Seth would have to talk to Roman. Maybe the Big Dog could pop by Deans and just make sure everything is alright.


	6. I am Displeased with this Rescue

It was a lot quicker to get to Russia by Headquarters plane then by ship, Seth knew that. He was fully aware that they would beat the cargo ship to the dock. He couldn't help but think back to that day in January so many years ago, when everything seemed to change. This was the Shields mission then; intercept and acquire. Well, not exactly the same mission. In actuality, Seth and Nikki weren't allowed to interfere, just assess.

"We'll be landing at the docks in 20 minutes" Cesaro, their pilot had said with a grin. He always seemed to be smiling. He was like the happy uncle that was the most fun at parties, but also the uncle that had done a few tours in the military and could probably kill you seven different ways with a napkin. Seth liked Cesaro. His codename was Swiss Superman because he flew straight and strong. Several years ago, that would have been Seth's job. He supposed he now had dean's role, captain of the Shield division. All those years he wanted this job, all those years he was jealous of Dean, yet he wouldn't have traded it for anything.

He remembered the day Dean was appointed the first Shield Captain. Their last test was a hand-to-hand survivor fight. Dean lasted through 14 opponents. He was bloody, tired, and, yet, pushed forward. It came down to the three of them, he and Roman were tasked by regal to take Dean down. Try as they might, he just kept fighting. How were they supposed to game plan for a man willing to claw your eyes out? Eventually, Dean managed to get through Roman, leaving he and Seth. He remembered the grin on dean's face, the way he stepped up to him with no regard for his own well being. He told Seth then, "You ain't the last one that'll kick my ass, but i'm'ma make you work for it."

Dean beat Seth that day and was given the rank of Captain. He and Roman were assigned to his team, the elite soldiers for HQ. They were the ones tasked with the hard jobs, the assassinations, the undercover work, anything above most spies pay grade.

"Hey." Nikki said and hit Seth lightly in the chest, breaking him from his memory. "Focus."

"I am focused." He replied, brushing her off.

"You don't look it."

"I'm fine, Nikki."

Cesaro turned from the pilot's seat, again that smile still on his face. "I can get you as close as I can without being detected. The rest is on you."

"Copy that, Superman." Seth said and checked his gear. He was traveling light, as was Nikki. For a simple recon mission, there was no real need for weaponry save for the minimum requirement. Seth carried one handgun and several knives, he knew Nikki had the same. They would suffice.

Cesaro landed the plane at a local airstrip a mile or so from port. Seth and Nikki would be on foot from then on. Superman was instructed to wait for 10 hours and leave with or without his passengers. Having known Cesaro for several years now, he knew the pilot wouldn't stick to that. He would wait for as long as he had to to make sure he left with everyone. Another reason Seth liked Cesaro.

He cut the engine and turned to his two passengers, "Good luck Architect, Magic."

Nikki rolled her eyes, she hated her codename, Seth knew that and it caused him to grin at her. The name was chosen because, upon her evaluation, she stated she and her sister used to switch places with each other. She called it Twin Magic.

Seth tapped the earpiece and it sprang to life. "Architect and Magic are enroute. Do I have you, Big Dog."

"Loud and clear, Architect." Roman buzzed through.

"We're a mile off, heading on foot to the docks. Superman will hold down the fort."

"Copy that."

Seth looked at Nikki with a grin. "Ready?"

She nodded and broke into a jog, "Keep up, Architect."

They arrived at the docks a half hour later. According to their intel, the ship was set to dock in St. Petersburg shortly, but a glance into the Baltic and there was no sign of a cargo ship. The two agents shared a worried look and tried to game plan their next move. Seth tapped his earpiece, "Big Dog, what's the ETA on this ship?"

"It's not there?"

"Negative."

"Hold on." There was some furious typing from one of Roman's team of intel agents and a few choice words from the Big Dog. "It's delayed."

"Delayed?" Seth snapped more harshly than he anticipated. "Why?"

"Unknown, Architect." Roman answered, "but it could be another few hours. My advice is to Sit tight and find a good hiding spot. We'll inform superman."

Again Seth found himself sighing, "Copy that."

Nikki looked up at Seth with amusement, "At least it isn't raining."

He rolled his eyes, "C'mon, let's get some high ground. We can scale those storage containers."

Two hours had gone by before the first sighting of a cargo ship entering port caught their attention. "Finally." Seth breathed and shifted his position to lay on his stomach, binoculars in his hand. He was looking for the ship's name. Once he laid eyes on it and confirmed that this was the ship they were aiming for, he grinned. "Bingo."

"They're a good ways away." Nikki said, lying next to him.

"Yeah, they'll be a while."

The sound of approaching vehicles drew their attention and Nikki took the binoculars from Seth before moving quietly to the other edge of the container. Three brand new, black Cadillacs stopped at dockside and several armed men got out, none of which either of them recognized. One thing she noticed was none of the cars looked large enough to hold any kind of large freight, which is what they were expecting. "What's this cargo supposed to be if it fits in three small Cadillacs?" She mused to herself.

Seth shrugged and reported what they were seeing to Big Dog. Roman paused on the other end of the earpiece and Seth wasn't sure he actually heard him. It wasn't until Romans deep voice came through with instructions to wait it out did he get confirmation that HQ was just as confused as they were.

The shipped docked without any problems and the gangplank was lowered a short time later. People began filing out, but nothing really drew their suspicion. It seemed like just another ship. Was HQ intel wrong? It was unlike Roman or his team to send agents, let alone Shield agents all the way to Russia for nothing. There had to be someth-

"Is that Dean?" Nikki said suddenly and Seth snatched the binoculars from her. He followed her line of sight and his vision fell on a tired looking Dean Ambrose being escorted from the ship by two very large men. He was carrying something in cuffed hands, holding it tightly as if protecting it. It was a child...his child.

"Fuck." Seth spat. "That's Evy."

He tapped his earpiece, "Hey, Big Dog?"

"I'm here, Architect."

"Did you happen to check on Lunatic like I asked?"

"Yeah." Roman answered and Seth could hear the confusion in his voice. "His car was there but he must have been out. Why?"

Seth dropped his head and banged it a few times on the metal container in frustration before he answered. "Because I'm looking at him."

"That's impossible, Architect." Roman replied with a dismissive laugh.

"And he's got Evy with him."

"You're serious?"

Seth rolled his eyes, "Why would I lie about that, Big Dog?"

"I think he may be the cargo." Nikki chimed in. "Look how they're hovering around him."

Seth lifted the binoculars again and, sure enough, she was right. But his eyes fell on someone very specific who was watching Dean with cocky disdain. Only one person he knew could pull off that look. "The Miz is here too. I knew that asshole wasn't dead."

He dropped the binoculars and chewed at his bottom lip. Nikki looked at him in concern. She always seemed to know what he was thinking before he even did. "We can't go after them."

He met her eyes, "I'm not just leaving him here. Not with Evy in trouble too. She's my godchild for Christ sake."

She swatted at him hard and it took him by surprise, then she pointed a scolding finger in his face. She never took any of his bullshit. Maybe that's how she survived so long without Cena. After he died, she grew a pair of balls and wasn't afraid to use them. "We are here to observe the cargo, not interfere."

He absently rubbed the spot where she hit him, "We are observing the cargo. I'm just going to do so from up close." Then he grinned and rolled to the far edge of the shipping container before sliding down and landing deftly on his feet. He knew Nikki would follow, despite her obvious protest. All he had to do was wait a few seconds and she appeared above him, cursing him the entire time she climbed down. He offered to help her, but she swatted him away before landing next to him just as skillfully.

"For the record," she said as she eyed him angrily. "I was against this."

"Noted." He replied and removed his pistol, Nikki followed suit. They moved silently from cover to cover, inching their way toward the Cadillacs.

"Architect, come in." Roman buzzed in his ear. He ignored him. "Architect, don't ignore me!"

He tapped the earpiece, "I'm here, Big Dog."

"Do not engage."

"No can do, Big Dog. Little one in play."

"Fuck!" Roman spat through the receiver. "Are you sure?"

"Why do you keep asking me that?"

There was a long pause but Seth could hear Roman talking to someone. When he buzzed through again, he sounded upset. "Repeat, Architect, do not engage. Just keep eyes on them."

Seth sighed and shook his head. He looked at Nikki who did the same thing for a different reason. She was giving him a don't-you-dare sort of look, but he didn't care. "I respectfully decline that order." He said and pulled the earpiece from his ear as Roman sent a barrage of choice words through. There was no turning back now.

He handed the earpiece to Nikki who was fuming. "What is wrong with you?"

"He would do the same for me." He replied. "Hell, he HAS done the same for me."

"God dammit, Seth!" She said and dropped the earpiece to the ground before slamming her heel down into it, smashing it to pieces.

"You don't have to come with me." He said to her.

"Yeah, well, I'd hope you'd do this for me if it comes down to it." She answered with a smirk. He nodded his thanks and they both inched toward the closest cadillac, taking cover behind it. They were close enough to hear the conversation taking place between Miz and another, much larger and meaner looking man. When the man spoke, he had an accent, but it wasn't Russian. If Seth had to guess, he'd say Canadian.

"Miz." He regarded the former HQ agent with a curt nod.

Miz smiled that pompous, arrogant smile he put on when he was trying to impress someone. "Kevin! Long time no see."

"Save it." The man known as Kevin snapped and Miz's smile dropped as if someone had just kicked his puppy. It was obvious to Seth, Kevin was in charge here, not Miz. Miz was merely a pawn. "You're late."

Miz tried to recover his smile but it wasn't as wide as it had been and he was nervously shifting from one foot to the other. "Ships aren't exactly reliable. If Rusev would have sprung for a plane like I asked…"

"That doesn't matter." He said and pushed past Miz to come face to face with Dean. Seth could see Dean visibly tense and hug Evy closer. The child clung to his shirt, her head buried in his shoulder. Kevin looked Dean over and laughed, "This is the Lunatic? I'm unimpressed."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware I was meant to impress you." Dean replied with a growl. Seth knew that look, he remembered Dean looking like that when he was trying to protect Abby. "Who the hell are you?"

The man's grin remained on his face as he began circling Dean. He stopped when he could see Evy's eyes and laughed. "She looks like your wife. Remind me, what happened to her?"

Dean growled and gritted his teeth but didn't indulge him with an answer. Again Kevin laughed, "You know, the stories of your missions are legendary. Hell, you took out Hunter Helmsley with one bullet. To me, you're looking a little domesticated."

"I'd rather be domesticated then a lackey for some Russian kingpin." Dean snapped.

"Bulgarian." Kevin corrected but dropped it there. The two men stared each other down, Dean in pure hatred and Kevin in curious interest. It was Kevin who broke the look first. "The kid can ride in the back, put him in the trunk."

Seth could see Dean hold her tighter and Evy cling to him as men approached. It was obvious from the fire in dean's eyes that they would separate the two over his dead body.

That's when Seth stood up, gun pointed right at Kevin. "Freeze!"

All eyes turned to him and anyone with a gun pointed it in his direction. His eyes were trained on Dean, who was looking at him with a mix of shock and relief. Seth winked at him before turning his attention back to Kevin.

The large man was smirking, "Really? Seth Rollins?"

Nikki stood as well, her gun trained not at Kevin, but at Seth. "Sorry Seth." She said and cocked the hammer back. "I told you this was a bad idea."

"Nikki Bella." Kevin said with a laugh. "Long time no see."

Seth slowly put down his weapon and turned to face her, eyes brimming with anger. "You bitch."

She smiled, but it was strained. Her wheels were spinning, he could tell that much. It wasn't until she winked at him did he realize her plan. She was about to play both sides. He hoped.

She gestured with the gun for him to move and he did, reluctantly, until he was standing next to Dean.

"Hi Uncle Seth." Evy whispered from dean's arms.

"Hey squirt." He answered, but left it at that.

Kevin and Nikki were now talking quietly aside as armed men approached Seth and began patting him down. The took all his knives and other things that might have been viewed as weapons, his tactical best, and his belt leaving him in nothing but empty cargo pants, boots, and a black t-shirt.

"You got Big Dog in your ear?" Dean whispered to Seth, who shook his head.

"Technically, I wasn't supposed to interfere."

"You declined the order and destroyed the piece, didn't you?"

"Nikki destroyed the piece." Seth answered, suddenly wary of her intentions.

Dean laughed, "She worked out well, huh? No one wanted to listen to me."

"I think she's playing them." He replied.

One of the gunmen hit Seth in the ribs with the butt of his gun and he doubled over. "Shut up!"

Kevin and Nikki continued to talk as Miz approached them. "You two are in for it now."

Dean grinned. "So, we're you not invited to their little pow-wow?"

"You know, lunatic, I'd reconsider how you talk to me."

Seth snorted and chuckled. "You don't know who you're messing with."

"Actually, he does." Dean added. "Right Miz? He'll never have kids thanks to me. And I beat him handcuffed."

"Luck."

It seemed as if Miz was about to say more when Nikki and Kevin approached them again. "Cuff the HQ douche." He said and one of the men quickly cuffed Seth's hands in front of him.

"I'll take the little girl with me." Nikki said and started to reach for Evy.

Dean pulled away, "The hell you will!"

"Would you rather we throw her in the trunk with you two?" She replied. "It's a long drive to Moscow."

Dean hesitated but conceded. He put Evy down, having to almost pry her arms from around his neck. He took her scared face in his hands and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You're going to go with Nikki."

She shook her head, "I want to go with you."

"I know, baby." He said. "But I'll see you when we get there. You remember what I told you on the boat, right?"

She nodded and sniffed back some tears.

"Good." He said with a reassuring smile and a kiss to her forehead. "You'll be alright."

"Will you?"

He grinned wider, "Remember all the stories I told you about uncle Seth and me? It's just like one of those. We'll be fine."

Nikki held out her hand for Evy and the little girl took it reluctantly. She gave her father and Seth one last look before being shuffled into the car.

Dean stood and eyed Kevin. "If anything happens to her, I'm tearing your head off."

"And I'll shove it up your ass." Seth added.

Kevin didn't respond. He motioned for his men and hands grabbed at them, pushing and shoving toward the car. They shoved Dean in first and Seth after before closing the trunk lid on the pair. They were two tall men crammed into a tight space.

"Shift over." Dean groaned as Seth's entire body weight was pressed on top of him. Seth tried to move and only succeeded in elbowing Dean in the ribs. "Dammit Seth! I am displeased with this rescue!"

Seth sighed and even in the dark of the trunk he could see Dean's scowl. As it would appear they were stuck in this position for the next several hours, Seth tried to lighten the mood. "This reminds me of the last time we were in Moscow. Remember?"

"We don't talk about the last time we were in Moscow, Seth!" Dean snapped and tried to push at a laughing Seth. "Especially not when were crammed in the trunk of a car!"

* * *

 ** _Whew, that was a long chapter. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Anna, she'll come back later. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think! Seriously, Reviews are great motivators._**


	7. You Must Be Dean Ambrose

Two hours. They had already spent two hours in the trunk and they still had seven to go. Only two hours, but they were both well over 6 feet tall and around 220 pounds each. To say it was a cramped space in the trunk of a Cadillac coup, was an understatement. Seth had even commented on how Cadillac was supposed to have roomy trunks, but Dean only responded to that by pushing against Seth in an attempt to get him to move off of him, at least a little bit. He would not be able to be in here for nine hours with all 217 pounds of Seth Rollins on his chest.

Seth, for his part, tried to alleviate the pressure by pushing himself up as much as he could. It worked a little, but the tight space provided little by way of any maneuverability. It was hot, it was claustrophobic, it was hard to breathe, and it was dark. If this is what it felt like to be buried alive, neither man would wish that fate onanyone. This, in and of itself, was torture.

Then there was the matter of Evy. He could deal with being shoved in a trunk, it wasn't the first time; he could deal with being kidnapped, also not the first time. What Dean could not deal with was the uncertainty of what was happening to his six year old daughter. He was supposed to protect her. He promised.

Seth shifted on top of him and he grunted as a knee dug into his thigh. "Sorry, man." Seth said.

Though Seth probably couldn't see him, he shook his head. "We need a game plan."

"We can't do much shoved in here." Seth replied. Dean could hear the shifting of the cuffs around Seth's wrist as the younger man again tried to wriggle his hands free and the defeated sigh as he gave up for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I need to know she's alright." He breathed, trying to hold back his threatening emotions. He was no use to anyone a panicking mess, but that's how he felt the longer they were in here.

"We'll get her out of here." Seth said. "She's feisty, she'll be alright."

Dean sighed, unsure of Seth's reply.

"did you get any info while you were on the boat?" Seth asked suddenly.

"Nothing useful." Dean answered. "Some Russian scumbag wants me for some reason."

"Did Miz tell you this?"

Dean paused, thinking of the dark haired woman who tried to make the uncomfortable trip more bearable, especially for Evy. "No. A woman named Anna. They have her son. Apparently, Rusev isn't afraid to use leverage."

Before either could say anymore, the car came to a stop and they cut the engine. Both men looked at each other in the dark, they definitely weren't in Moscow yet but something was going on. They each braced themselves for anything. Five minutes passed, then ten, nothing. It wasn't until there was a sound at the back of the trunk right behind the back seat, did either man hear a sound.

As with most modern cars, there was an access point to the trunk from the backseat. Hidden behind the armrest, it was too small to fit a person through, but large enough to see. Light, though minimal, flooded the trunk where Dean was lying and he had to squint against it. He could barely see who's face was staring at him, but he recognized the voice. He would know it in his sleep. "Daddy?"

"Evy!" He breathed in relief and tried to turn his body toward her. "Baby, are you okay?"

Her little hand reached into the trunk and wrapped around his. "I'm ok. Nikki is very nice, she holds my hand when I'm scared."

It broke his heart that it wasn't him holding her scared hand, but he could take some solace in the fact that the traitorous bitch at least made her feel a little safe.

"Where is Nikki, squirt?" Seth said from behind him, even though he was sure the younger man couldn't see the interaction.

"I'm here." Nikki said quietly. "They stopped for snacks and gas. We've only got a few minutes here."

"You lying bitch!" Dean growled at her. "I knew you would be trouble! I told them after the Moxley incident!"

Evy gasped. "Daddy! You cursed!"

He didn't apologize, "Yes I did, baby. And I'm about to do it again…"

Nikki stopped him, "Save it. Whatever you're about to say to me, I'm sure I deserve, but hear me out. They know me, I've worked with Rusev several times before I joined HQ. I think we can kill two birds with one stone here. Seth and I were sent to observe and learn about the new threat. That's what I'm doing. I'm still on your side."

Seth growled angrily, shifting his body and kneeing Dean in the process. "You could have warned me!"

"Yeah, I could have." She answered. "But they had to believe I turned on you. I needed your genuine reaction."

"Daddy, what's going to happen?" Evy's small, scared voice chimed in and gripped his hand a little tighter.

He sighed, "I don't know baby, but Nikki will watch over you or daddy is going to be very angry. Isn't that right Nikki?"

"I'll protect her." Nikki said quickly. "We've gotta go, they're coming back."

Evy kissed Dean's hand and said a quick, brave goodbye before disappearing behind the seat. Nikki peered in quickly and smirked at Dean's angry face glaring at her. "Hang in there, boys." She said and closed the access door, leaving them both back in the darkness of the trunk.

"I don't like her." He said to Seth.

He heard him sigh, "I don't think she cares."

* * *

" _That job was unacceptable!" William Regal yelled. Even angry, his British accent made him seem smug and arrogant, At least to Dean, who rolled his eyes at his CO._

 _This did not go unnoticed. "Do not give me that look Ambrose! I told you this was supposed to be quiet!" He held up a newspaper, showing the headline to his Captain. "Not on the front page of the BLOODY NEWS!"_

 _Dean was proud of that headline and smirked at his fuming boss, chuckling slightly as he stood at attention in front of his desk. It read 'explosion rips through warehouse, cause unknown.'_

 _The older mans voice got low and dangerous, "Do you think this is funny?"_

" _Sir, with all due respect, the mission was a success." Dean offered with a shrug. "No civilians were hurt, we got the info you wanted, and we weren't made. Granted, some bad guys may or may not have been caught inside. But, I'd call that a win."_

 _Regal slammed the paper down on the desk and stood, walking around to stand in front of Dean who, to his credit, stood his ground. "You have a problem with orders. I'm aware this was your first mission with HQ as Captain of the Shield, but you are reckless and dangerous. What would have happened if one of your team was hurt, hm?"_

 _Dean shrugged. "But they weren't."_

" _But what if they were?"_

 _Dean shook his head, "I don't deal in 'what if's', sir."_

 _Regal snarled, his face turning more red with each sentence that left Dean's mouth. The older man was pissed, but this didn't faze Dean much. He'd dealt with worse then William Regal. He supposed this made his boss even more angry, the nonchalant attitude in the face of reprimand._

 _Finally, Regals face softened with a long, drawn out sigh as he gave up, recognizing the futility in screaming. He shook his head as he returned to his seat behind his desk. "You know, Ambrose, you remind me a lot of myself: arrogant, self assured, egotistical, stupid."_

" _Isn't that why you picked me off the street, sir?"_

" _No." Regal answered quickly, his statement catching Dean off guard and his smirk surprising the younger man. "If that were the case, I'd have let them take you to jail. I don't need another me running around. I chose you because I saw someone with potential, someone who needed a chance to succeed. Despite your background, you are a unique and effective leader. You're men like you and follow your direction without question. You get the job done, albeit unorthodoxly. I understand they call you 'the Lunatic'?"_

" _Sir?"_

 _Regal laughed, "You're not a lunatic, but you're close. I'm changing your codename. From here forward, your call sign is 'Lunatic Fringe'."_

 _He wasn't dismissed yet, but Regal began writing in a tablet on his desk. Dean shifted uncomfortably, "So...am I not in trouble anymore, sir?"_

 _Regal looked up and laughed, a rare occurrence, "Oh no, you're still in trouble. I think a week in solitary will suffice."_

 _Dean cursed under his breath. He always seemed to be in that cell for one reason or another. Granted, he never did quite learn his lesson._

" _Report to the holding cells immediately." Regal added, handing Dean a piece of paper for the guard. "You know the drill."_

 _Dean sighed in annoyance before nodding to his CO and groaning out an aggravated "Yes sir."_

* * *

"Dean."

He groaned as Seth pushed against him and cracked an eye open. He didn't even remember falling asleep, but he regretted it as the stiffness in his neck painfully reached all the way through his shoulders. Again he had dreamt of his early years with Headquarters. Why had these dreams began to creep up on him? He missed the days he dreamt of Abby. Where were those dreams?

"Dean, we've stopped." Seth whispered.

"Good." Dean stated. "I'm ready to give someone a piece of my mind."

The trunk lid opened and both men squinted against the bright lights. They pulled Seth out first and dropped him to the concrete floor onto his knees, they did the same with Dean. They were surrounded by several men with large weapons pointed directly at them, daring them to move.

Both men looked around at their surroundings, each gauging escape routes, weak points, and useful items scattered around the large, warehouse type space. The one thing Dean noted was the absence of his daughter and his stomach dropped.

Kevin approached them, smirking down at the fuming men at his feet. Dean growled at him, bearing angry teeth. "Where's my daughter?"

"Safe." Was the simple, dismissive reply.

"If you hurt her…"

Kevin cut Dean off by punching him in the jaw, sending him recoiling back and clutching his now bleeding mouth. Seth made a move to retaliate, but was stopped by a booted foot slamming into his gut. Both men groaned and coughed on their knees as Kevin walked away. He was replaced by an even larger man in an expensive black suit that made his already large frame look more dangerous. His dark hair was pulled into a greasy ponytail at his neck and he scowled at the pair with malice. Dean and Seth glared dangerously back at him from their prone positions.

"Two headquarters agents?" He asked Kevin in thick accented English. "I asked for one."

Kevin shrugged, "The other fell into our lap at the docks. I thought you could use both."

"I suppose you've done me a service, delivering Seth Rollins here as well." He said and began circling the pair of kneeling men, regarding each with pompous assurance that he had the upper hand without even saying a word. "My name is Rusev."

"Don't care." Dean said, licking at the cut on his lip.

Rusev whacked Dean on the back of the head, more to get his attention than to hurt him. "You must be Dean Ambrose."

"What gave me away?" He laughed, "Was it the good looks or the charming personality?"

"Neither." Rusev answered flatly. "I have been wanting to meet you for sometime now. I have decided you will work for me."

Dean laughed louder, "Well that was a stupid decision really. I'm pretty sure you have a better chance of getting ice water in hell."

"Perhaps I should clarify." Rusev said with a wave of his hand, leaning down to look Dean directly in the eye. "I want _Jon Moxley_ to work with me."

Dean froze and a knowing sneer spread across Rusevs face. "Ah, that's the reaction I was looking for. Fear." Then he turned his attention to Seth. "But, I not only have Jon Moxley, I also have Tyler Black. What a turn of events."

Seth gulped down his own anxiety as Rusev laughed and stood up straight again.

"Where's my daughter?" Dean asked again, far more dangerous than before.

"She will stay with the other children until I get what I want from both of you."

"And what's that?" Seth asked.

"I want you both to kill William Regal."

* * *

 **dun Dun DUN! Nangel4 and LakeshaChestnut, Thank you for the reviews!**


	8. Product of a Misspent Youth

"Superman, come in."

Cesaro peeked his head around from the engine of the plane where he was making minor repairs. He wasn't quite sure he had heard it right. He recognized the voice as Roman Reigns, but there would be no need for the Big Dog to contact him unless something had gone wrong. He ran to the cockpit and put on his headset to acknowledge Roman. "Superman here. Go ahead Big Dog."

"Headquarters has lost contact with Architect and Magic. They last reported the appearance of the Lunatic Fringe and Little One and It's assumed they've gone after them. Have you had any contact?"

"None." Cesaro reported with a shake of his head. This wasn't an unusual occurrence, the teams often only contacting the pilot in an emergency. He had no cause to assume something was wrong. "Do you have any intel?"

"None." Roman buzzed through the receiver. "I'm coming to you. You're the closest agent and we'll need you to go into the field."

Cesaro nodded, "Will do, Big Dog."

"We'll contact you as soon as we have more info."

* * *

One blow, two, then three. Each landing it's mark and each backed by enough power to break bone. They didn't know what they hoped to accomplish in beating them to a pulp. It could have been just a show of strength, a way to let off steam, a way to tire them out so they wouldn't fight back, who knew? All they knew was that it hurt. A lot.

They took turns, but Kevin was the worst. He hit with the ferocity of someone hell bent on inflicting as much damage in one swing as he could, and he did it all with an unfeeling smile that showed no sympathy for the bleeding men before him. They asked no questions, they wanted no information, they just wanted to cause pain.

The two men now cuffed to uncomfortable chairs, for their part, took the punishment with an almost amused coldness. Neither man was willing to justify any insults thrown at them with a response, though they could both think of a few choice words. This seemed to tick off Kevin as he constantly tried to get a response out of Dean specifically.

"Got nothing to say, Lunatic?" He jeered at him after a particularly hard blow to Dean's jaw. He was pleased with himself as Dean spit a molar to the floor and it skidded across the concrete. But the Lunatic Fringe came back laughing. He did after every punch and hit from Kevin, but he never spoke. He didn't have to. He was getting under the large mans skin without saying a word and he knew it.

"You're pathetic." He hit him again. "You're weak." And again. "You're useless." And again. Dean was still laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" He finally screamed in his face, a nerve obviously struck. Dean didn't answer, so Kevin hit him again for emphasis before repeating the question. Again, no response but laughter. He growled in frustration and landed one more punch before giving up and calling away the man beating Seth, a man who they called Alberto, a tall Latino man with an attitude that rivaled Kevin's. "Let's go," said Kevin. "Let's leave them to think about their situation."

Alberto grinned and punched Seth one more time before following Kevin from the small room they had been placed in, a room that had probably been an electrical closet at some point, but one now full of bare walls and empty grey fuse boxes. They heard the lock slide into place and knew they were now alone.

Seth gave Dean a once over look. There was a particularly bad cut above his eyebrow that was sending blood down the side of his face, his lips were bruised and bleeding, but he was still fucking smiling. The crazy bastard. "Are you ok?"

Dean looked at Seth in amusement. The Architect wasn't in much better shape, his face a bloody and bruised mess like Deans. He was looking at him in concern. "He hits like a bulldozer." He answered with a shake of his head.

"And you're laughing at that, why?"

He grinned wider, showing off bloody teeth, "Because it pisses him off and I've been insulted by better."

Seth couldn't hold in the chuckle or the shake of his head. Dean had been out of the spy game for six years now, but still acted like he had never left. He was the same cocky, quick thinking Dean he had always been.

"We need to get out of here." Dean said and pulled against the cuff around his wrist. By now they were bloody in their own right from days of being bound. Seth tried his own bonds and found them secure but Dean drew his attention when he began shifting his chair around so his back was to Seth. "I need you to break my wrist." He said quickly.

Seth shook his head wildly, "What?! No!"

Dean looked back at him with a grin, "C'mon, trust me. I've done this before."

"When?!"

"A long time ago." Dean answered and took a mouthful of his shirt between his teeth to bite on because this was going to hurt like a bitch. "Just do it!"

"Okay. I'm sorry, man." Seth sighed, drew in a deep breath, lifted his foot, and slammed it into Dean's left hand. The Lunatic Fringe cried but his wrist wasn't broken yet, Seth had to try again. He repeated the movement, lifting his boot and driving it hard against Dean's cuffed wrist. This time he felt the bone give way and even faintly heard the crunch of it splitting over Dean's muffled cries.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Dean managed to slip the cuff off his wrist and free himself. He immediately cradled the now shattered bone, but bones heal. He was on his feet and searching the room around them for anything he could use to free Seth. He settled on a set of wires still attached to one of the empty fuse boxes. He pulled it free and wrapped it around itself to form a more sturdy pin. He used it as a shim between the ratchets that held the handcuff circle in place, easily allowing it to swing open.

Seth rubbed his sore wrists, "How did you know to do that?"

"Let's just say I spent a lot of time in handcuffs as a teenager." Was the smart reply. He handed Seth the small pick, knowing the younger man was far better at breaking door locks then he was. Seth took it and immediately went to work on the door. Dean stood behind him cradling his wrist, wincing with every unintentional movement. Seth reached in his pocket and pulled a bandana out, they hadn't taken that at least. He handed it to Dean with instructions to wrap his wrist tight, it was only a temporary fix, but it would help with movement at least.

"What's taking so long?" Dean asked after a few long minutes of Seth trying to undo the door lock.

Seth shot him an incredulous look, "This isn't exactly easy with this flimsy piece of metal you gave me."

A few more minutes passed with the same result. Seth threw down the pin and ran a hand through his hair. "We need a new plan."

Voices on the outside of the door drew their attention. They had about thirty seconds before whoever it was made themselves known. Thinking quickly, Dean handed Seth one of the chairs before sitting in the other and holding his hands behind his back. Seth stood behind the door and waited. The door was unlocked and Alberto entered and froze when he saw only Dean sitting there. "What the..?"

Seth brought the chair down hard on his back, stunning the man while Dean took the opportunity to tackle him to the floor. "Where are the kids?" He asked none to kindly, using his body weight to hold Alberto still.

"Fuck you!" He yelled and Dean responded by using his good arm to punch him hard in the nose, enjoying the feeling of the bone breaking beneath his knuckles.

"Now, let's try that again." Dean said. "Where are the kids?"

"T-third floor." Alberto stammered.

Dean lightly patted him on the cheek. He looked up at Seth who, with a grin, kicked the man in the face with his booted foot, knocking him unconscious. Dean immediately began rifling through his pockets. He handed a set of keys and a phone to Seth and pocketed the lone blade he had on him.

Seth gave a quick look out the door. Once satisfied the coast was clear, he waved Dean out and locked the door behind him. Hopefully no one would come looking for Alberto for a while.

Seth hugged the wall and Dean brought up the rear. They stayed low, alert, quiet as they moved forward. The first step was to find some way of defending themselves. The little pocket knife stolen from Alberto wasn't going to do much against someone with a gun. They reached a corner and Seth stopped to peek around. He looked back at Dean who knew that look all too well. It was the look that said were outnumbered and outgunned.

"How many?" The Lunatic Fringe asked.

Seth peeked back around quickly and answered, "Six."

"Fuck."

"Yeah."

"We can take out six guys." Dean whispered with a mischievous smile. "Just like old times."

Seth frowned skeptically, "How are we going to do that? You have one arm. Besides, we'd never get through them all without someone raising an alarm."

The pair decided the best course of action was to go another direction. They moved quietly until they came to a stairwell. Dean took lead as they climbed the three stories. So far, they had made it without incident. No one had gone looking for Alberto, no one had seen them, and they had made it to the third floor safely.

Dean peeked his head through the door and looked down empty hallways. He listened for the sounds of children. Knowing his daughter, she would not have been quiet, kicking and carrying on like he would have done. But, he heard nothing. He looked back at Seth in concern, "It's so quiet."

Seth was busy fiddling with Alberto's phone, holding it high above him. He must not be able to get a signal. Dean pushed through the door and hugged close to the wall. If he had to guess, he'd say This section of the warehouse was abandoned.

"It's possible Alberto was less than honest." Seth said from behind Dean after several searches in empty rooms. Dean didn't want to think about that. Evy was here. She had to be.

The search was going on to long, Dean knew that. The odds that Alberto had woken up increased with every passing second, as did Seth's agitation. "Dean, I don't think they're here."

He ignored his former partner as he peeked his head into another in a series of empty rooms calling his daughter's name.

"Dean…"

Again he ignored him, "Evy?"

This time Seth hit Dean on his shoulder to get his attention, "Dean…"

He turned back quickly, "What, Seth?"

Seth wasn't looking at him, his eyes were trained down the hall. Turning to follow his gaze, Dean's eyes fell on Kevin, Alberto, and several other men glaring at them angrily. Alberto was favoring his one arm and nursing a bloody lip as he spoke, "Did you think we'd keep them here in this cold warehouse? They're children!"

Realizing this was a set up, the Shield boys readied themselves for anything. Seth began backing up but was stopped when three more men cut off their exit.

"What do we do now?" He whispered.

Dean had his eyes trained on Kevin when a grin spread across his face, a grin Seth knew all too well, the grin that meant he was about to do something incredibly stupid. He hesitated only a moment before, with a primal scream, he barreled toward Kevin and tackled him to the floor with enough momentum to send both men tumbling over each other. Seth shrugged and ran toward the fray. He jumped on Alberto's back and wrapped an arm around his windpipe in an attempt to get him to fall to his knees. The other men were on them in a flash and Seth found himself outnumbered quickly.

Kevin pushed Dean off and immediately used his much larger frame to pin him to the ground. "There's the Lunatic Fringe I've been waiting to see!"

Dean growled and somehow managed to get his foot up and used the new leverage to kick Kevin back. He scrambled to his feet just in time to have another man drive his shoulder into his gut and push him back against the way. Dean gasped as his back connected and drove the air from his lungs. He used his good arm to drive his elbow over and over again into the man's back.

Seth was busy with two men holding him still as a alberto punched him over and over in the gut. He kicked up with his boot and caught him in the face. Off the distraction, he pulled with his arms and sent the other two face first into each other. He caught a glimpse of Dean struggling against the wall and broke into a sprint toward him. He used his momentum to push them apart.

Dean immediately had a handful of Seth's shirt and pulled him to his feet and in the direction of the now empty hallway. The pair ran as they heard Kevin scream for his men to follow them. Neither looked back.

They found the stairwell and headed toward the ground floor as fast as they could. Once there, Dean immediately headed for the Cadillacs. "Get in!"

Seth slid over the hood as Dean threw open the driver's side door. He watched as the Lunatic pulled the wires free from under the steering column and began fiddling with several of them. Seth looked back and he could see men exiting the stairwell door and spotted the pair trying to hotwire one of the vehicles. "Hurry up, Dean!"

"I'm going as fast as I can, Seth!"

"Go faster!"

The first bullet ricocheted off the bumper with a sickening thud as metal collapsed metal. Both men ducked down as more bullets were shot at them. Finally, the car sprang to life and Dean shifted it into gear. Reverse.

"What are you doing?" Seth asked in a panic.

Dean grinned and turned as he looked through the back window and steered the car toward the men shooting at full speed. He slammed his foot into the brake and turned the wheel hard, sending the vehicles into a drift...All one handed. The passenger side hit some of the bad guys shooting at them, but most jumped out of the way. Dean shifted into drive and hit the gas, hoping wherever they were going was toward the exit.

"Are you crazy!?" Seth cried out as more bullets hit the back of the car, busting a taillight.

Dean grinned, "Jury is still out."

He saw the glow of sunlight out a warehouse door and pushed his foot harder toward the floor. Some of Kevin's men had already reached the controls and were lowering the door.

Seth braced his hands on the dashboard, "Dean!"

"I see it Seth!"

They were getting closer and Seth didn't think they were going to make it. "DEAN!"

"Shut up, Seth!"

The Cadillac roof scraped against the bottom of the bottom of the door as they shot out of the warehouse at full speed. They did it. They were out!

Seth opened his eyes and let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Dean was laughing in the driver seat. A glance behind them and he saw nothing but a closed warehouse door. It would take Kevin and his men a couple minutes to raise it again, giving the Shield brothers a good head start.

He glared open mouthed at Dean, "Where the FUCK did you learn how to drive like that?"

Dean was still laughing when he answered, "Product of a misspent youth, my friend!"

"Now what?"

"Get Nikki on the phone." Dean answered as he sped the Cadillac down nameless Moscow streets, trying to put as much distance between them and Kevin as they could. "She will know where Evy is. Then call Roman. We're gonna need backup."

* * *

 **Oh, yay, an update! Probably the last one until after the new year. Thanks to:**

 **\- Nangel4, Glad you liked it! Much more to come.**

 **\- LakeshaChestnut, I do love me a good cliffhanger**

 **\- Smalls, That was an awesome compliment! Thank you! xx**

 **\- Sass-cupcake, yes, shit went down!**


	9. I dont care about your mission

"I can't believe they put me on kid duty." Miz grumbled as he led Evy and Nikki down a hallway of what at one point was probably a school building. The faded and dirty arts and crafts pieces of children long since moved on were still stuck to the dingy walls, giving a depressing air to the already dilapidated structure. She could hear the tell tale sounds of children playing and crying, a haunting sound in this haunting part of town.

To her dismay, he just kept on talking. "Fucking Kevin Owens shows up and suddenly it's the Kevin Show. Everyone forgets that I got the street dog here. Me! I did it!"

"Quit bitching, Miz." Nikki groaned, "For Christ sake, it's like nails on a chalkboard!"

"Well, you volunteered for this job, not me!" He spat back at her. "I don't know why we don't just let the Lunatic offspring free and let Moscow take care of her. Wolves are hungry this time of year."

Nikki clutched Evy's hand tighter, "That kind of defeats the purpose of the concept of 'leverage', doesn't it?"

Miz mocked her statement with a sarcastic imitation of her words before adding, "If it were up to me, they'd all just disappear."

"It's not up to you." She replied, trying to reign in the urge to punch him square in his annoying mouth. "So shut up and lead the way."

He set his jaw and mumbled something under his breath but she couldn't bring herself to care what that was. At least he stopped talking. He stopped at a wooden door and she could hear children behind it. Evy moved to hide behind her legs and she felt her heart break for the little one. She had done nothing but ask for her father since the car and Nikki did her best to keep the little girl as calm as possible. She had never been close with Dean, and she knew why. He didn't trust her, his Jon Moxley persona remembering the interactions she had with Stephanie. But she was serious about what she had said to them in the car, she would protect Evy. Maybe it was the mothering instinct in her that took over.

Miz pushed open the door and Nikki got a good look at just how much _leverage_ Rusev possessed. A good thirty children of varying ages were shoved into a small room meant to be as comfortable as it could be. There were toys and games, but most seemed content to sit huddled together in corners or against walls. They were scared, but not mistreated. Thankfully.

Miz reached for Evy and the little girl stepped away quickly. He reached again, "Come here you little brat!"

This time Nikki stepped between them, "Step away."

"Fine." He spat, "You do it."

She knelt down to Evy's level and smiled sweetly, trying to calm the now angry child. "Evy, you have to go in there."

"I want my daddy!"

"I know, and he wants to see you. You can wait for him in there."

"Is he coming for me?"

Nikki couldn't really answer with Miz glowering down over her shoulder. So she smiled at the little girl, hoping she could convey that Dean would tear this city apart brick by brick for her. Evy smiled back and threw her arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. She released Nikki and grinned a very Dean, charismatic type of grin, "I don't know why my daddy doesn't like you."

"Me either." She responded with a chuckle and guided Evy gently through the door.

Before he could close it, Miz bent down to Evy's level and, to her credit, she glared right at him. "You are just like your father." He snarled, definitely not a compliment.

Evy smiled again, once again looking so much like her father in her expressions. "My daddy is going to kill you."

"Not if I kill him first."

Then in a quick move, the little girl reared back her arm and punched Miz square in the mouth, remembering to not tuck her thumb in, just like her father had told her. He recoiled, but stayed on his feet. "Ow! The little brat hit me!"

Nikki tried to hold in the chuckle as Miz slammed the door closed and locked it. That's when Nikki felt the familiar buzz of her phone in her pocket. A text message? She had completely forgot about the device, and was a little surprised they hadn't relieved her of it. She checked it as Miz tenderly probed at the small cut on his lip.

 _Magic, it's architect. The Lunatic Fringe and I are in the open. Do you have Little One?_

Her heart flipped happily at the news that they had escaped and she couldn't help the small upturn to her mouth. She knew they would come through. She also knew the first thing they would do was come for Evy. While Miz was distracted, she quickly responded. _Little one is safe. She just punched Miz._

She could almost hear Dean squeal 'that's my girl!' At the news. The small text bubble of Seth's reply buzzed through and she read it quickly.

 _Good to hear. We've all been wanting to do that. Where are you?_

 _A school outside the city. I don't know the exact location._

 _The lunatic and I are coming to find you. Stay put, keep up the good work._

She frowned _. Maybe not the best idea Architect. They'll know you're headed here and head you off. Lay low for a few days_

"Who are you texting?" Asked a gravelly voice. One that most certainly wasn't Miz's. One she had hoped to forget. One that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.

* * *

"She stopped answering." Seth said with with a shrug. He looked at Dean and took in how he furrowed his brow as he cradled his wrist against his chest. There was a sheen of sweat across his forehead and his eyes seemed unfocused as he drove them at alarmingly high speeds. "Dean? Why don't I drive."

The dirty blonde shook his head, "No way. You drive like an old lady."

"And you look like you're about to pass out."

Dean looked at him as if he were offended Seth would dare to say such a thing. But then his face softened and he winced as he adjusted his arm. "Maybe you're right." He said. "The car is too conspicuous anyway. We need to ditch it."

"I agree." Seth added. "But we're going to need help."

"I'm not adding anymore people to this, Seth." Dean said with a shake of his head. "Just call Roman and get him here."

Seth shook his head in annoyance. "You realize you can't order me around anymore, right? You're not Shield Captain."

Dean, to Seth's surprise, laughed. "Is this really the time to have a pissing contest?"

"No...I'm just say-"

Dean cut him off, "You're saying that you want to run the show. I get it, Seth. I don't work for HQ anymore so I have no say in what we do?"

"Dean, that's not wh-"

"It's exactly what you're getting at." He snapped. "But here's the thing, it's my daughter out there and she's probably scared."

"And I have a mission to carry out."

"I could care less about your fucking mission!"

Something was off about Dean. He had never snapped at him in such a way; at least not sober. Seth reached a hand out and felt Dean's forehead only to have the older man promptly swat it away. "You have a fever."

"I'm fine." Dean replied flatly.

"No, you're not."

Dean didn't respond to that. He simply kept his eyes on the road, pressing his foot further to the floor. Seth could tell his friend was sick. Maybe it was the trip on a cold ship, the beatings, a broken wrist that caught infection. It didn't really matter. Dean was ill and he would only get worse. "Stop the car."

"No fucking way." Dean snapped but Seth could see his eyes glaze over even as he tried to shake off the oncoming delirium. "Abby needs me."

"You mean Evy?"

Deans eyes were getting heavy. He was on the verge of passing out, that much was clear. "Yeah...I mean Abby…Evy…"

Somehow, Seth managed to get him to slow down before his head slumped forward and he lost all control of the wheel. Thankfully they weren't on a busy street as Seth grabbed the steering and guided the car to a rolling stop before engaging the parking brake. Deans eyes were closed when Seth got to him. "Jesus Dean."

He got out of the car and pulled Dean out. The other man cried out slightly as he was moved, but he didn't open his eyes as Seth piled him into the back seat. Dean slumped down Immediately.

"Shit." Seth said to himself, feeling Dean's forehead. He sighed and pulled out the phone before dialing a practiced number that was to be used only in emergencies. If Dean knew what was about to happen, he would have punched Seth in the face for just suggesting it. The man he was about to call was a last resort, someone who preferred to stay off the grid, and someone who just happens to live in Moscow. However, he and Dean never got along. It stemmed from the last time they were on a mission in Moscow. In fact, the Lunatic Fringe had promised to put a bullet in his head the next time he saw him. Granted, that was almost a decade ago. Dean was always the never forgive, never forget type, but what choice did Seth have at this point. They were being hunted, injured, and in the open.

So Seth made an executive decision. The phone clicked as the other person answered, "Who the fuck is this and how did you get this number?"

"Punk? It's Seth Rollins. I need your help."

* * *

 **Thank you to EVERYONE who viewed and reviewed the last chap! Hopefully this one keeps the momentum going.**


	10. The puppet

Seth parked the busted Cadillac in an alley a few blocks away from Punks building. He figured, being as they were obviously in the slums of Moscow, the vultures and criminals would be around to pick apart the bones of the car that, until recently, was a very nice vehicle. Dean was semiconscious in the back seat, mumbling incoherently as Seth pulled him to his feet and shouldered his good arm. The Lunatic Fringe at least tried to help, dragging his feet in a weak attempt to walk.

Seth could feel the heat radiating off his body even as Dean shivered against him. "Almost there, Dean."

"Wh-where are we going?" Dean slurred, head hung against his chest and his sweat soaked hair falling into his eyes. "It's Evy's dance recital, I can't leave."

That was months ago. Seth remembered because he and Paige were there as well. She was dressed as a flower, a costume Dean and Seth had stayed up until three in the morning the previous night trying to make. It almost came to blows several times, and the poor costume was held together with hot glue and staples, but they did it. So, just to get the man in his arms to stay awake, Seth asked, "Who made her beautiful costume?"

"I did!" Dean grumbled. "But Seth helped. I couldn't have done it without him. Any of it. Not just the costume. He's so great with Evy and I don't know what would have happened if it weren't for him. He's my brother. I love him. Don't tell him I said that."

Seth smiled, touched by the words from the delirious man in his arms. "I won't."

"Plus, he can be a dickhead and I'll never hear the end of it."

Seth chuckled. Dean never hid that sentiment. "Thanks Dean."

People seemed to ignore them as Seth damn near dragged Dean down the street. This was the type of place where the less one knew the better. Even the cops seemed nowhere to be seen. He could see why Punk lived here. People minded their own business. Plus, as an ex-pat, Punk would stand out anywhere else in this country. Born and raised in Chicago, he had an American attitude and a healthy disrespect for authority. Maybe that's why he and Dean never got along, they were so much alike. The only difference was that Punk lived a straight edge lifestyle, and Dean didn't.

Punks door was a heavy steel slab with a camera situated just above the frame. Seth shifted Dean in his arms and used his foot to knock. There was a long pause when nothing happened. Then there was the crackle of a speaker jumping to life. "I thought you were coming alone!"

"Sorry, Punk." Seth said. "If I hadn't said I was alone, you wouldn't have helped."

"Damn right I wouldn't have!" Punk yelled. "Who is that?"

He couldn't see Dean's face. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise. "A friend." He answered. "He's sick and needs help. We're in trouble, Punk."

The speaker went silent and Seth almost thought Punk wouldn't open the door. He started thinking of alternative options, but he heard the sound of lock after lock slipping out of place. The door swung open and he was met with a scowling CM Punk. The shorter man was looking him over, deciding just what he wanted to do. Then his eyes fell on Dean and his scowl deepened before he slammed the door in Seths face.

"God dammit Punk!" Seth yelled and slammed his foot into the metal door again and again, emphasizing each word with the impact. "Don't be an asshole! Open the fucking door! I'm not leaving until you do!"

The door opened again and Punk had an angry finger in Seths face, "You intentionally didn't tell me that was Dean Ambrose!"

"Because you wouldn't have opened the door!" Seth replied. "Trust me, if he was in his right mind, this would never have happened."

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know." Answered Seth truthfully. "He's burning up."

Punk looked Dean over again, taking in his ragged appearance, the bruises and cuts, and the swollen wrist. Then he looked at Seth's pleading face again. He sighed as he caved in and stepped aside to allow Seth to enter.

"The bedroom is upstairs." Punk said. "Take him there and I'll look him over."

Seth maneuvered Dean up the steps, avoiding the piles of wires, books, gadgets, and shards of metal. Punk followed and helped Seth lay Dean in the small twin bed that barely held his long frame. The sick man groaned as his body connected with the lumpy mattress.

Punk felt his forehead and looked at Seth with a grim expression. "He's burning up."

"I told you."

"Go downstairs, there's a vial of antibiotics and a few ace bandages." He instructed. "Bring some water and a towel back with you."

Seth hesitated, worried to leave both men alone. After all, it was no secret they hated each other. Punk rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to hurt him!"

With a nod, Seth's did as instructed. He returned to the room with the requested items to find Punk gingerly poking at Ambrose's arm. "His wrist is broken."

Seth handed him the vial and towel. "Yeah, that was my fault. He asked me to."

"He asked you to break his wrist?"

Seth shrugged, "We were handcuffed to chairs. I broke his wrist and he slipped out of the cuffs. Is that why he's sick?"

"It's possible. There's a pretty nasty cut in his hairline that looks pretty infected. I'd say at least three days old and then went septic. Know anything about that?"

Seth shook his head, "He was on a ship to Russia three days ago with Evy."

Punk stifled a laugh, "Whose Evy? The girl of the month?"

"His daughter." Seth answered, unamused. "She's six."

Punk composed himself after that new piece of information. "Daughter, huh? I'd say I'm surprised, but I'm not. It was really only a matter of time the way he slept around. Who's the mother? Some truck stop waitress?"

Seth was beginning to get angry and could see why Dean hated Punk. "No. It was Sister Abigail. His wife."

Punk looked genuinely surprised, "Married? To Sister Abigail? With a kid? Really? And where's she now? Probably wised up, huh?"

"Dead."

Punk looked away. If Seth didn't know any better, he'd say he was ashamed. He didn't bring it up again and didn't apologize, rather asking where Evy was.

"We don't know." Answered Seth. "Some school outside Moscow. Look, can you help him please?"

Punk sighed and continued looking Dean over. The Lunatic Fringes eyes were closed and he was muttering incoherently as punk smoothed back his sweat soaked hair. He took the vial and filled a syringe before injecting Dean with the liquid. The man didn't even stir. Then Punk instructed Seth to hold him down.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to set his wrist, and it's going to hurt like fuck." He answered. "I can't have him thrashing around. He might hit me."

With a smirk, knowing Dean would probably do that anyway once he was coherent, Seth climbed on top of his friend and used his body weight to pin his long limbs down. Punk gave a quick countdown to allow Seth to brace himself before he took a hold of Dean's forearm and hand and pulled.

Deans eyes shot open and he screamed, "FUCK!" He tried to pull away, tried to throw Seth off, but the younger man held him down. "Stop! Stop!"

Seth had his arms holding Dean's shoulders down, but he forgot just how strong he was, having almost thrown him off as he tried to thrash. "Dean, relax. You're okay!"

"Almost got it." Punk said as he manipulated Dean's wrist.

"Seth, get off! Stop!"

"We have to fix your wrist!" Said Seth. "You're the one who wanted me to break it!"

Dean gritted his teeth against the pain. He tried to breath against it, tried to get his mind to wrap around what was happening. There was an audible sound as Deans bones set together and Punk looked at Seth with a smile. "Got it."

Dean stopped struggling under Seth, but his face remained screw together in pain and his breathing remained labored. His eyes immediately closed as his body finally gave out and his fevered mind took over.

Seth looked at Punk. "Now what?"

"Well, we have to wait until his fever breaks." Punk answered as he began wrapping Dean's wrist tightly. "Until then, he's just going to be like this."

* * *

Seth sat in Punk's kitchen and turned over the phone Dean stole from Alberto in his hands. He needed to call Roman, but knew this phone was probably being tracked by now. Hell, texting Nikki was a stupid move really. As soon as he dialed the number and hit send, they would know exactly where he was. He couldn't do that with Dean in this condition.

Punk entered wiping his hands on a dirty looking towel and Seth followed him with his eyes as he walked to the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of water before handing one to him. "You know, you have a pretty nasty gash on your cheek. I can stitch that up for you if you want."

Seth shook his head, "I'm fine."

"Suit yourself." Punk replied with a shrug and plopped himself down in the chair across from Seth, propping his feet up on the wooden table.

"Would you happen to have a phone I can use?" Seth asked. "This one is compromised."

Punk reached for the phone and Seth handed it to him. The tattooed man made quick work of opening the back, removing the SIM card and snapping it in half. He made a few more tweaks before he handed it back with a smirk, "Now they can't track it."

"You know, HQ could still use someone like you." Seth said with a grin.

Punk didn't even try to hide the laugh, "No thank you. I don't need some government sanctioned organization knowing when I wipe my ass. I'll pass."

Seth didn't press the issue. "How is he?"

"Well, he's still delirious." Punk answered with a sigh. "When I left, he was mumbling something about parent teacher conferences and a portable nuke in South America. He'll be right as rain in a few days."

"We don't have a few days, Punk."

"What are you even doing in Moscow?"

Seth hesitated, watching Punk's face carefully. Despite his shortcomings, he'd helped them both find refuge to regroup. Plus, he always seemed to have his finger on the pulse of what was happening. Maybe he could be of some use here. So, Seth recounted what brought them showed to his door. Punk listened with interest, not saying a word until Seth had finished.

"Rusev, huh?" He said after a moment of thought.

"Ring a bell?"

"The dude has his finger in everything in this city." Punk answered. "Gambling, drugs, prostitution, you name it, he's getting a cut. But he's no big player. He's a puppet trying to break away from the puppeteer. Granted, he has a nasty habit of kidnapping kids and wives to make his henchmen stay loyal. That's pretty low."

"Who's the puppeteer?"

Punk shrugged, "No one really knows. I have my theories, but that's all they are."

"And what are they?" Seth pressed.

"There's been chatter about someone called the Chairman." He began. "I think he was the real muscle behind the Authority before Helmsley was killed. I heard he pulled the strings, gave Helmsley his resources, and was the bankroll. But again, only theories."

Seth took it all in. He had never heard the name 'Chairman' before, but that didn't mean much. A lot of his job was need to know. He knew it was because, if he were captured, he couldn't give secrets away. You can't say what you don't know. However, if this Chairman was a real person, he needed to find out his game. If what Punk was saying was true, then it wasn't Rusev who wanted Regal dead, it was the Chairman. But why?

"I have to make a phone call." He said and took his leave of Punk. He needed Roman.

* * *

" _Mr. Ambrose, Evy has been telling stories of your involvement in a secret government agency. We're concerned."_

 _Dean shifted in the uncomfortable desk he had been instructed to sit in when he arrived for his scheduled conference. He was 6'4" and he had to shove his long body into a seat made for a six year old. Why didn't they have any adult chairs available? He was looking into the stern face of a woman who could have been a professional wrestler if she wanted to be. She was dressed all in black, scowling at him as if he had done something wrong. "We'd like to hear your side of the story."_

 _"She's six." A voice said next to him. He turned his head at the familiar tones and smiled. Abby. She was wearing white._

 _"Six or not, we expect our students to be truthful." The teacher said sternly. "I will not tolerate lies."_

 _"We can talk to her." Abby offered, but Dean could see the anger in her face. "She has a colorful imagination."_

 _Twenty minutes later, he and Abby sat in his jeep. He couldn't help but stare at her. Was she real?_

 _"Do you believe that teacher?" She said angrily. "Saying imagination won't be tolerated. You'd think that school was some dictatorship. What a load of crap. We should pull her out and send her to that other school closer to home. I don't care if this school has a better reputation, I won't have my daughter's imagination taken away."_

 _Dean remembered this event happening differently. Yes, Evy had been in a stricter school that he then took her out of for just this reason. But Abby wasn't there...why would she be? He had lost her six years before. Yet here she sat in his passenger seat, complaining just how he had._

 _She caught him watching her and her anger seemed to fade as a sweet smile spread across her face. She reached out and gently placed a hand on his cheek, "Are you ok?"_

 _He mirrored her grin and took her hand in his before planting a kiss on her palm. With a shaky voice, he answered her. "I'm great. I'm here with you."_

 _"Of course you are." She replied, giggling ever so softly. "Where else would you be?"_

 _"Dying in some shit hole in Moscow."_

 _She laughed and leaned in for a kiss, pressing her lips into his and running a hand through his hair like only she could. He had forgotten how their lips fit together, like they were made for each other. She pulled away and looked him in the eye. "You're not dying in some shithole in Moscow. That comes later."_

 _He drew his brows together in confusion, "What?"_

 _He face hardened and she looked at him with fear and anger. "You need to wake up, Dean."_

 _"I'm not asleep."_

 _"You need to find Evy." She said. "She's not safe."_

 _"Abby, Evy is at home…"_

 _"WAKE UP!"_


	11. Some Kind of Infection

" _Seth! Get down!" He yelled over the gunfire. Seth ran and dove behind a turned over roulette table, just out of Dean's eyeline. This had not gone according to plan and Regal would surely be on his ass about it. It wasn't his fault this time, at least he didn't think it was. The plan to capture a high level South American drug cartel was meant to be smooth and easy. Roman had already gone undercover and was assimilating nicely. The original plan was to plant a drug in his drink and drag the man out of the casino as 'drunk' where Seth and Dean would be waiting with the car to get back to the airstrip. It would have been nice and quiet until a rival gang showed up._

 _Seth had seen them first from the driver's seat of the stolen limo and pointed them out to Dean, sitting in the back with binoculars pointed out of the tinted glass._

 _"Goddammit!" He had spat and both he and Seth made for the entrance as calmly and nonchalantly as possible. Unfortunately, with his blonde hair and blue eyes, Dean stuck out in this illegal South American casino and had to think quickly. He tousled his hair, untucked and wrinkled up his shirt before he threw an arm over Seth's shoulder, to the younger man's surprise, and began singing and babbling to his Shieldmate. Of course they were stopped by the bouncers._

 _"Hey!" He slurred, "What's the problem *hic* buddy?"_

 _"What do you want?" The bouncer at the door, a large man with a frame like a Mac truck, asked in heavily accented English._

 _"I, my good friend, would like to gamble."_

 _Seth shifted Dean on his shoulder, beginning to get the idea behind what Dean was trying to do. He put on his best accent and regarded the bouncers with a sly smile. "Look, man, I found this guy at a bar down the street. He was already drunk out of his mind. He's some American businessman looking to spend his cash and I thought the best place for him to do just that, was here."_

 _"You're so...such a nice guy!" Dean said to Seth with a drunken laugh and pinched his cheek. "Isn't he a nice guy? Yes, I would like to *belch* spend my daddy's money. The bastard never did anything for me anyway...s-so I wanna have a good time…"_

 _The bouncers looked at each other and then nodded for them to enter with some comment about Dean being an easy target._

 _Seth pulled Dean along until the doors were closed behind them. He straightened up and smoothed his unruly hair from his face before giving Seth a winning smile. "Am I good, or what?"_

 _Seth shook his head and walked away toward the casino floor, Dean followed closely as he feigned a hurt expression. They entered the casino floor and slid up to the bar. From that vantage point, they could see the whole room. There was so much money changing hands in such high amounts, they both were in shock. Dean spotted Toman sitting next to their target and chatting casually. He spotted Dean and for a split second his face gave away his surprise. Roman would have known something was wrong in that instant, but he played it cool and collected._

 _Dean instructed Seth to make a round of the room and report back. Seth was always good at listening for the important information without being noticed and Dean would take advantage of that. The bartender arrived and asked Dean in Spanish what he would like. Knowing not ordering something would be suspicious, he asked for a beer. He thanked the man when he returned with the bottle and paid him quickly. Then his eye was drawn away from the room when a woman caught his eye. She was blonde with piercing brown eyes that seemed to speak directly to him. She was wearing white. He felt like he knew her from somewhere, that he should remember her face, but couldn't quite place it._

 _That's when Roman slid up to the bar and placed two empty glasses down, asking the bartender for two more in flawless Spanish. "What the fuck are you and Seth doing in here?" He asked, never looking at Dean and keeping a cool smile on his face. "I'm about to plant the drug."_

 _"Abort that." Dean answered into his drink, masking the movement of his mouth. "Rival gang entered ten minutes ago. I'm guessing there's trouble brewing. Architect is scoping the room."_

" _What's my play then?"_

 _"Well, we can either wait it out, or start this shit now." Replied Dean with a mischievous grin, the one that meant he was about to do something stupid._

 _Seth approached Dean and sat in the stool next to him and nodded toward three men in the corner, "See those three guys?"_

 _Deans eyes slid to three men in blue suits, laughing and being generally obnoxious. "Yeah."_

 _"They call themselves the New Day. I'm pretty sure they're Authority."_

 _"Fuck." Said Dean. That meant, not only do they have to worry about two rival gangs, but also being made by the Authority. "Ok, we all need to get out of here before this situation escalates."_

 _"I have been here for two months now." Roman growled through a fake smile. "G they haven't made me by now, I don't think they will. If they would recognize any one of us, it'll be you Captain."_

 _"Good point." Dean said with a nod. "punch me in the face."_

 _"What?"_

 _Dean sighed before landing a nasty right hook to Romans jaw, causing the large Samoan to fall backwards into a card game in progress. All eyes shifted to the two men._

" _What the fuck, Dean?!" Seth whispered behind him._

 _Roman was already on his feet, lunging himself into Dean's midsection and sending both men crashing through a stack of Champagne glasses. Dean allowed Roman to get the upper hand and pin him down while the bouncers pulled them apart and kept a tight hold on Dean. "I knew you'd start trouble!" One said._

 _"He's Headquarters!" Roman yelled. "That's Dean Ambrose!"_

 _Their target approached Dean as he was being held still by the bouncers. "What would headquarters be doing here?"_

 _Dean shrugged, "Oh you know, the usual."_

 _He backhanded him and Dean's head snapped to the side, but he came back laughing. "You hit like a bitch." Dean said. "I bet $50 your boy could hit better than you."_

 _Roman reared back his arm and punched Dean square in the nose. "You don't talk to him like that!"_

 _"Whatever." The Lunatic Fringe responded, stretching out his now bleeding nose. "I bet your buddies in the rival gang at the roulette wheel will back me up in this."_

 _Suddenly, six men at the roulette table stood and pointed weapons at the group. They dropped Dean as everyone with a gun faced off with each other. He wasn't sure who shot first, but the bullets began flying and everyone ducked behind any available surface. Seth jumped behind the roulette wheel, Dean behind a poker table, and Roman with their target behind the bar._

 _Now was their chance. While everyone was distracted, Dean and Seth carefully made their way to Roman, who had their target in a sleeper hold, trying to get him to pass out._

 _But Dean was stopped by the beautiful woman in white. She stood among the gunfire and watched him. He knew her...he knew he knew her. Abby. His Abby._

 _"Dean, you need to wake up." She said to him clearly over the gunfire._

 _"Abby?" He questioned, "What are you doing here?"_

 _She knelt down in front of him and kissed him tenderly. "Time to wake up. Save Evy."_

* * *

Deans eyes shot open and he drew in a lungful of air as if he hadn't breathed in days. Hands were on him suddenly, pressing his body down saying to keep calm. Keep calm? KEEP CALM!? He had no idea where he was or how he got there, he was just in a gunfight with Abby. Wait, where was Abby? He pushed against the hands holding him, trying to sit up. The sudden slap to his face brought him back to reality and he was staring into a pair of angry brown eyes.

"Punk!?" He breathed in confusion.

"Calm down, Ambrose!"

"You son of a…" Dean reached out a fist to punch the man staring at him, but he was so weak and there was no oomph behind it and the tattooed man easily swatted it away.

"You can hit me later." He said to him and produced a bottle of water. "Right now, you need to drink."

Dean eyed him suspiciously, but did feel the pangs of thirst in his dry, scratchy throat. "What did you do to it?"

Punk rolled his eyes, "Nothing! You know, despite popular belief, I don't actually want you dead. Now drink this, or I'm shoving it down your throat."

Though still hesitant, he nodded and allowed the man to help him drink. Before he knew it he had finished off the entire bottle. "Now, was that so hard?"

"Wheres Seth?" Dean asked and tried to prop himself into his elbows. When he moved his wrist, he remembered just how painful a broken bone was and hissed. But, it was wrapped and not as sore as it had been. The other man tried to help him into a sitting position, but Dean pushed him away.

"Fine, be that way." Punk snapped and sat back down in his chair. "Your buddy went to scout the area. Said he would be back soon."

"What happened to me?" He asked, still feeling the effects of whatever brought him here. He felt weak, drained, and tired. It was as if someone had sapped all the energy from his body.

"You had some kind of infection. I don't know if it was from your broken wrist or the other various cuts and bruises, but you were in pretty bad shape." Punk answered, still a harsh tone in in voice. "Your fever broke last night. I have to say, you call out the name Abby a lot in your sleep."

"She's none of your business."

A smile spread across the tattooed man's face, "Who, your wife? I never took you for a family man, Deano." Then his smile fell and his face softened. He leaned his elbows on his knees and looked Dean in his tired eyes. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened to her. Seth told me everything."

Though he would give Seth a piece of his mind later for telling Punk things he had no business knowing, he was thankful for the sentiment. Not that he would say it aloud to Punk. But he did nod his appreciation. Then, "How long was I out?"

"Two days."

"Two days!?" He cried in a panic, throwing the sheets aside and trying to get to his feet. Punk was at his side immediately to help him. This time he took the offered assistance. "Evy has been alone for two days!?"

"She'll be alright." Punk offered. "Rusev is a prick, but he's no kid killer."

"That's not helping, Punk!" Dean ground out. "The kid can't even sleep if I'm not in the house, how do you think she's fairing alone?"

"If she's anything like her father, she'll adapt and survive."

* * *

Seth had seen Dean do this only one time, but how hard could stealing a car be? He was a smart man and knew that newer models of vehicles had safety protocols that hindered the inexperienced thief, so he opted for a mid 90's Chevy that had definitely seen better days. But at least it was less conspicuous than that flashy cadillac. He managed to get the door unlocked with a coat hanger he found on the street, but was struggling with which wires under the console to combine. Brown, yellow, and green wires stared at him in almost mocking silence.

"Dammit, Seth. Get it together." He said to himself before settling on the brown and yellow wires. Hoping this was right, the stripped the ends and took a breath before touching them to each other. He damn near jumped in excitement when the engine turned over and the car started. "YES!"

He shifted into gear and tore off toward the busier part of the city. He had reached Roman two days ago and the Big Dog was already on his way. They had agreed to meet at a busy tourist trap in the middle of Moscow. The crowds would provide the cover they needed, just in case Rusev and his thugs were onto Seth. He didn't want them to know backup had arrived.

When he got there, he immediately exited the car and shifted further into the coat and hat he had borrowed from Punk. He needed to blend in until he found Roman, so he took a seat on a bench where he could see the entire area and, with his back against a building, no one could sneak up on him. He waited.

Roman approached 20 minutes later with Cesaro in tow. They were both dressed in street clothes, but that didn't make either of them look any less dangerous. "Seth, thank god you're alright." Roman said, throwing his arms around the youngest Shield member and current captain. "You look like hell."

Seth absently rubbed the healing cuts on his face and shrugged, "Well, you should see the other guy."

"Where's Dean?" Cesaro asked, concerned.

"He was still out of it when I left." He answered. "I left him with Punk."

Roman cocked an eyebrow, "You left them alone together?"

"Punk saved his life. If he wanted Dean dead he would have done it by now."

Roman nodded, trusting his friends judgement. Then he shifted the conversation. "So what are we looking at here?"

Seth took a deep breath and recalled the events of the past few days to both men as best he could, making sure to provide all information he learned about Rusev and his minions, as well as their penchant for kidnapping kids for leverage.

"Those fuckers have Evy!" He said to the large Samoan far louder than he had anticipated. Then he lowered his voice. "Best Intel I have from Nikki is she's alright. But that was two days ago."

"Is Rusev the big player?"

Seth shook his head, "Not according to Punk, and I'm inclined to believe him. He says there's a bigger threat, one that only goes by 'the Chairman'. He says he was the real muscle behind the Authority even before Dean killed Helmsley. No one knows who he is."

Roman nodded as he thought. He turned to Cesaro and instructed him to go back to the plane and talk to Regal about the plans to kill him, Rusev, Dean, Evy, and the Chairman. He instructed him to ONLY speak to William Regal. Cesaro nodded and walked away. Then Roman turned his attention back to Seth. "After you."

"You're coming with me? But you aren't Shield anymore."

"Once Shield, always Shield" Roman responded with a grin. "Besides, you think I'm just going to let you and Dean handle this alone? He isn't Shield anymore either. You both need me."

Seth conceded with a sigh and motioned for Roman to follow him.


	12. It's like we're actually getting along

A/n: yeah, again I felt like this could have been expanded. I'm re-posting the extended edition.

* * *

"So, punk agreed to help you?" Roman asked from the stoop if the home their makeshift ally had made for himself. "Even after realizing it was Dean?"

"It took a little coaxing, but yeah." Answered Seth and led the way to the door where Punk had given him access.

Once in, they were met with screaming.

"Move!" They heard Dean yell from the upstairs bedroom.

Punk answered in a voice just as loud. "No way! You need to calm down!"

"Move or I'm going through you!"

"Try it! I'd love a reason to knock your ass out!"

Seth and Roman shared a worried look before making their way up the stairs two at a time. Punk was standing in front of the bedroom door, blocking the path of a fuming Dean Ambrose with a broom handle as a weapon. Dean had apparently woken up in the time Seth had collected Roman and realized the situation. He was hoping he would have stayed unconscious a little longer, at least until Seth had returned, because he knew Dean would immediately try to get to his daughter. He didn't blame him in the slightest, but he could see the exhaustion still creeping into Dean's eyes.

"You know what, fuck you Punk!" Dean screamed, but it was strained. If he kept this up, he was going to pass out again.

"Fuck you too, buddy!" Punk replied, readying his makeshift weapon. "Keep it up and I'm whacking you for good measure."

"Dean?" Seth said as he came into the man's eyeline behind Punk. "What are you doing?"

Dean's angry eyes shifted to his Shield brother and seemed to soften a bit. "Seth, good. Tell him to get out of my way. I'm finding my daughter. She needs me!"

Seth slid past Punk into the bedroom, "We will, but you need to take a breath and calm yourself. Roman is here."

Deans eyes shifted from Seth to Roman and he smiled. "The Shield back together again, huh? Let's go get Evy back and go home."

"We can't." Said Roman carefully.

Dean's smile dropped. "Why?"

"Because we have a mission to complete here." The large Samoan answered. "We need to find the Chairman and right now, we think he is involved with Rusev."

Dean growled low and dangerously, "I'm not HQ anymore and I don't care about your mission or whoever the fuck this Chairman is. I want my daughter safe. You're either with me or against me. So which is it?"

"We're with you." Seth answered calmly. "We both want Evy safe, just like you. They know you will go after her, so they are probably converging on wherever they are keeping her. We're going to kill two birds with one stone here, and we need your help. We'll get her back, but if we rush in there blindly, we're only putting her in more danger. Just think, Dean."

"I am thinking!" He barked at Seth. "I'm thinking that my daughter has been all alone in a strange place while her father should have been looking for her. I can't let what happened to Abby happen to Evy because I wasn't there. If something happens to her, I...I don't know what I'd do."

"We know." Roman said and also pushed past Punk, who was watching the interaction with interest. It was intriguing to him how they were able to calm down their friend, slowly and without any sudden movements. Dean was in protective father mode and no matter what he did, Punk was unable to keep him calm. But Seth and Roman? They were able to advance on the fuming man without him even realizing it, his demeanor had already started to change when they arrived, and he, though still angry, was listening to reason. It was as if they were calming a wild animal.

Dean looked from Roman to Seth and back several times. His face had changed from angry and cornered to that of a man traumatized by loss and heartache. He fell to his knees and looked mournfully at the floor as tears began filling his eyes. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked, more content to stare at the flowers in the cheap old rug than to look anyone in the eye. "She's all I have left. I can't let this happen. Not again."

Roman knelt next to him and placed a comforting hand on his trembling shoulder. "We know, Dean. We will help you get Evy back. We just can't go now. You remember how it was before you resigned Shield. We don't want to walk in blindly because that how people get hurt."

He nodded his understanding and quickly wiped the stray tears from his cheeks before running the back of his arm under his nose.

Roman smiled and squeezed Dean's shoulder. "Good. Now, get up and stop feeling sorry for yourself. We need you...Evy needs you."

Punk cleared his throat on the other side of the room and all eyes turned to look at him. He was leaning on the broomstick handle he was using as a weapon not five minutes ago and his usually cocky demeanor had shifted to a sympathetic one. "Look, I know you'd rather kick my ass then accept my help, but I'll do anything I can to get your daughter back for you."

There was a buzzing sound coming from Seth's pocket and again eyes shifted. He took out the boosted phone and stared at the screen in confusion. "It's Nikki." He said, tapping the screen a few times to bring up the text. "She says she had to hide the phone because they were getting suspicious. There's a set of coordinates here. She says Rusev and Kevin are there and waiting for us."

"Good!" Dean growled and pulled himself to his feet with the help of Roman. "Just wait until I get my hands on that slimy son of a bitch!"

"Which one?" Punk asked as a joke.

"Both!" Dean countered.

"Ok, so we've got a location." Roman added, "Let's do this."

"Wait." Seth said, his instincts telling him that something wasn't right here. "I haven't heard from her in days. The last time she said to stay away, now she's changed her mind? It could be a set up."

"You're the one who said to trust her." Dean snapped. "So let's trust her."

Though the feeling was still lying heavy in his gut, Seth conceded. They had no other option.

* * *

Deans objective was to get to Evy while Seth and Roman were going after Rusev to get to The Chairman. Roman had hooked punk up

with his facial recognition software that was originally developed to find Dean, but had since expanded to vocal recognition, heat readings, and remote drone access. The man was like a kid in a candy store, though Roman assured him that his access would be revoked as soon as they were safely back to headquarters. The man just waved him off and the big Samoan made a note to have his team watch out for attempted copies.

They also needed transport and all the extra hands they could muster. Roman was on the phone to connect to Cesaro, relating instructions for the Swiss pilot to find a car that wouldn't stand out (he didn't care how he did it) and meet them at Punk's place.

Within a few hours, all Shield members, both former and current, we're gearing up for this war. Cesaro brought extra gear for everyone and they looked the part of tactical specialists, donning black cargo pants, tactical vests, and weaponry. Dean, however, opted to stay in his jeans and tank top, only adding a fitted leg holster and wrapping his other wrist (for symmetry). The addition of a borrowed leather jacket is what gave him his edge. He was not someone you fucked with on a good day, but now he was downright dangerous.

Seth tapped at his earpiece and listened for the telltale buzz, "Punk, can you hear us?"

The tattooed man turned around in his desk chair, the headset hanging on only one ear. "Yeah, you're still standing in my livingroom." All four other men glared at him until a smile spread across his face, "Yes, I can hear you through the headset."

"Good."

Cesaro led the way to the car he had commandeered, a mid 80's Toyota two door coupe. Dean stopped at the sight of it and shook his head. All of them were well over 6 foot. How the hell were all four of them fitting in that? Nope. He'd do this his way.

"Dean? Where the hell are you going?" Seth yelled.

"I'm not squeezing my ass in that little car." The Lunatic Fringe called back without even turning around. He tapped his earpiece, "Punk, you still got that Ducati?"

" _You're not taking my motorcycle, Dean!"_

Seth followed him yelling for him to stop and get into the Toyota like a father yelled at a petulant child as he strode to the side of the building where he found an unassuming shed padlocked to hell. Using an ax discarded to the side, he made quick work of relieving them from their position.

He swung open the doors and grinned. Oh it was a pretty sight, a black and red Ducati Scrambler Classic. "Punk, you sure have good taste in bikes."

" _DO NOT TAKE MY MOTORCYCLE!"_

"Dean, that really isn't inconspicuous!" Seth barked from behind him. "We don't have time for this!"

"Shut up, Seth." He replied as he mounted the bike. Thankfully, the keys were in the ignition. The throaty engine kicked to life and he couldn't help the smile as the power he was sitting on ran through him. He would surely be faster than some Toyota POS. He could see Seth talking to him, but revving the engine drowned him out. Why hadn't he thought of that before? There was a black helmet sitting to the side and he put it on, securing the strap. He kicked off the kickstand and gave it some gas, giggling like a girl at the power that little motion gave him.

But, like a worried mother, Seth was at his side and quickly removed the key from the ignition, ignoring Dean's incredulous look. "Get off the bike."

"No way am I getting in that cramped Toyota." He replied and held his hand out for the key. "I'll wait for you three there."

"You promise you won't do anything stupid?"

Dean smiled behind the tinted glass of his helmet. "When have I ever done anything stupid?" All Seth had to do was look at him as an answer. "Ok, fine. I won't do anything stupid."

Though he hesitated, Seth handed over the key and Dean quickly brought the bike to life again. He revved the engine a few more times before hitting the throttle and zipping

from the garage at high speed. He caught a glimpse of Roman and Cesaro throwing their hands up in annoyance, but he didn't care. He would get to his daughter, with or without them. Yes, he would get there first, but his promise to Seth would be broken. He was getting his daughter out of there.

" _Did you just steal my fucking motorcycle?_ " Punk buzzed in his ear.

"Borrowed." he answered.

" _You break it, I break you. Comprende?"_

"Understood."

* * *

He knew he would arrive first, that was the point. He stashed the bike in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, securing the door the best he could. He tapped the earpiece, "Punk, where are the others?"

" _A good 20 minutes away."_ He answered. " _You going to wait?"_

"Can they hear me?"

" _No_."

"Then no." Dean replied and checked the gun in his holster. "I'm getting my little girl."

" _Didn't Seth tell you to not do anything stupid?"_

He chuckled, "When have I ever listened to Seth?"

" _Touché_." Punk replied. " _What do you want me to do?"_

"Can you see me?"

" _Yeah_." Punk answered. " _This little system of Romans is pretty damn fancy!"_

"Good." He said with a smirk. "I'm going in. Watch my back."

" _Ever think you'd say that to me?_ " Punk buzzed in his ear with a laugh. " _It's like we're actually getting along._ "

"Don't push it."

He had stashed the bike several blocks away. It wasn't like anyone would take it, he hadn't seen another person for at least a mile. There was no way to be inconspicuous because there would be no one else approaching but the Shield boys. He didn't like this at all. They would absolutely see anyone approaching, so what was the point of stealth? In some ways, Dean liked the idea of barging through the front doors before kicking ass and asking questions later. He was just that type of guy. But with Evy in danger, the idea of going in announced wasn't something he aspired to. He knew they probably already spotted him on the bike, but maybe he could avoid any further detection. Rooftops were out of the question, that's where most sentries would be waiting. High ground is key when waging any sort of defensive. So Dean would have to go under if he wished to go unnoticed.

"Is there a sewer system that runs under the school?" He asked Punk.

After a moment of typing, he answered, " _Yeah, but why would you wanna go into a Russian sewer?"_

"I never said I wanted to." He replied with an eye roll he hoped Punk could see from his little computer. "Just get me to the closest entrance."

" _Alright, I hope you're up to date on your shots."_

Punk led him to a manhole cover a few yards away and Dean made quick work opening it, gritting his teeth at the pain in his broken wrist. Immediately the smell hit him and he had to turn away and gag. " _I fucking told you!_ " Punk buzzed in his ear. He ignored him easily as he pulled his shirt up to cover his nose before climbing down the rusted metal ladder. His boots thankfully landed on hard ground and not knee deep sewage, but the darkened brick access was disgusting enough on its own. He could hear rats scurrying away from him as he began to walk, there was a distinct sloshing sound from somewhere deeper in the tunnel, and the walls were covered in a grime that he'd be willing to bet wasn't something he wanted to touch.

" _Go straight until you come to a dead end. You'll have to make a left turn." Instructed Punk, "I'll guide you from there._ "

Dean followed the instructions he was given; a left, a right, up a ladder, another right, and so on. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. He felt as if he had been in this filthy sewer for way longer than he anticipated. He knew the others would have arrived by now. He asked Punk that question.

" _Oh, they arrived but I told them you ditched them a while ago. Seth told me to tell you that he's going to kill you if you all survive this...as well as some other expletives I won't repeat. But, they said they'd let you do your thing."_

This made Dean smile. "Thanks man."

" _Whatever_." Said Punk, but there was a hint of a silent 'you're welcome' in his voice. "Up ahead of you, make a left and you'll see a steel door. That's the entrance to the school boiler room."

"Hey," Dean said, suddenly feeling the need to get something off his chest. "I know you and me, we haven't seen eye to eye...ever. What happened all those years ago…"

" _You're really going to do this now?_ "

"I just want you to know that if something happens, I'm having my middle finger sent to you."

" _That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me._ "

* * *

A/N: thanks to all my reviewers! Keep em coming. I'm not even close to finishing up this story. Though, the last chapter is written. You'll want to stick around for that.


	13. Did You Stage a Rebellion?

"I'm going to kill him." Seth was still seething when Cesaro pulled the Toyota to the side of a building and out of sight. "I distinctly asked him not to do anything stupid, and what does he do?"

"Something stupid." Roman answered with a grin at Seth, which only deepened the younger man's frown. "C'mon Seth, you've known him long enough to know he wasn't going to listen to you. Especially you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

It was Cesaro who spoke next, "It's no secret you two are like oil and water when it comes to how you do things. He's very spontaneous, you're not. But it works when you're on the same team with the same goal. You don't have the same goal right now."

"Hey, I want Evy back just as badly as he does." Seth snapped.

" _Will you three shut up!_ " Punk chattered loudly through all three of their earpieces and the car went silent. " _I swear all of you are like walking soap operas. Can you save the bullshit for AFTER this death wish mission you are on? Dean just entered the boiler room in the basement. I suggest you quit yapping and get a move on._ "

"Fine." Seth said and checked his weapon. "Put me through to him."

Punk sighed, then in a mocking voice, he answered with " _Yes sir, Captain sir._ "

"I can see why Dean constantly wants to hit you, Punk."

" _It's a gift, what can I say_."

There was a short clicking sound as Punk connected Seth to Deans earpiece. He could hear him breathing and mumbling on the other end of the line.

"Lunatic Fringe, you there?"

Seth could hear him stop his forward motion. " _Hey, it's the Architect! I was wondering when you'd buzz through. Did'ja call to tell me off?_ "

He rolled his eyes, but didn't say what he truly wanted to. "We are a few blocks back. We are going to make our move. Stay unseen and we'll provide you the distraction." Is what he said instead.

" _Sounds good._ " Dean replied. " _I'm in a basement hallway having high school flashbacks. So many lockers…_ "

"Fringe, just don't get killed, please."

" _You should know me better than that, Architect._ " Was the quick reply. " _I ain't giving up on Little One that easily._ "

"Good." Said Seth with a smile. "We're going after Rusev. Hopefully that'll give you the window you need. We'll meet back at Punk's place in three hours. Architect out."

There was another few clicking sounds as punk dropped the connection.

* * *

Dean couldn't help but grin at the annoyance in his friend's voice. He truly expected Seth to tell, scream, generally over react, but he didn't. Maybe the youngest member of the original Shield was growing more patient. Either way, it didn't matter. He was here for his daughter, not to pander to Seth's feelings.

"Punk, you still there?"

" _Yup_." Was the reply.

"Where am I going?"

" _I have no clue, dude._ " He said. Then there was the sound of typing, a few choice curse words, and then " _I have no eyes in that building._ "

Dean sighed, "Crap. Well, if I were holding kids hostage, where would be the most logical place in a school?"

He could almost hear the shrug from Punk, " _Near the cafeteria? Kids gotta eat, yah know."_

That actually made a lot of sense. If you didn't want to constantly move them back and forth, you'd have to keep them near a food source; somewhere where you could easily transport food and drinks. "Punk, that is probably the smartest thing you've said all day."

" _I'll ignore that dig at my intelligence._ " He said through the earpiece.

"Do you at least have a schematic of this place?" Dean asked, turning a corner carefully, his gun trained expertly in front of him as he came across another dark hallway lined with grimy lockers that looked like they could have been white at one point in time. "It's freaking huge."

There was a short pause, followed immediately by, " _...That's what she said._ "

"Punk!" He snapped back, unamused.

" _Sorry! I couldn't help myself._ " There was another pause, but Dean could again hear typing. " _Yeah, I've got a blueprint. Take the next set of stairs you see up two floors._ "

He found the aforementioned stairs careful not to allow his boots to make much noise as he climbed them. He hadn't heard any voices, seen any bad guys, or come across any traps of any kind. Either they wanted him to get to Evy or they didn't know he was there. If Seth, Roman, and Cesaro were causing a distraction, they were doing so awfully quietly.

Punk led him down hallways and classrooms until he came to a wide expanse of space lined with tables, counter tops, and decrepit old vending machines that had been broken open for their contents long ago. But, no kids. He cursed to himself and had to restrain from kicking the nearest object. But when he stood still for a few moments, he heard a voice. A distinct, high pitched whine. He turned toward the noise. It was coming from a simple wooden door set into a small hallway behind him. Holding his gun close, he stalked toward it, unsure what he would find. Pressing his ear to the door, the noise came through again and his heart flipped in anticipation as he pulled on the door knob. But he wasn't met with his daughter when the door swung open. he cursed to himself because Seth was right.

Nikki's scared eyes shot up when he slipped in and closed the door behind him. She was zip-tied to a chair, duct tape covering her mouth, with several bleeding cuts along her face and chest. She struggled a bit, but Dean held a finger to his lips for her to stay quiet as he rushed to her side and pulled the tape from her mouth. "Dean!?"

He knelt down next to her and assessed her visible injuries. "Are you okay?"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" She whispered harshly.

He lifted an eyebrow at her response, "I suppose I'm saving your life. What happened to you?"

She answered as he pulled a knife from his boot and made quick work of freeing her wrists. "I was caught texting Seth. They wanted your location, but I didn't know it. So they...well, you can see what they did. Finally, someone got the bright idea of texting as me to him. I didn't think you'd all be stupid enough to fall for it."

"Punk, did you hear all that?" Dean said to the man on the other end of his earpiece.

He sounded more sullen when he answered. He understood the gravity of the situation. " _Yeah, I heard it. I'm trying to get Seth now, but he's not responding. Neither is Roman or that Swiss dude."_

"They were assuming you'd be coming through the front door, being as that tends to be your MO." Nikki added.

"The one time I'm smart about infiltrating a building, it bites me in the ass." He said with a sigh. Then, "Where is my daughter?"

"Last time I saw her was right before they caught me." She answered, voice strained as if she were anticipating him to scream and yell. When he didn't right away, she continued. "There is a set of classrooms where they are keeping them. She was put into one of those."

"Set of classrooms?" He asked, shocked by the plurality.

She nodded, "There's about 30 kids."

He shook his head, "Fuck. Can you take me there?"

Again she nodded her answer, but followed with an unsure shrug and a wince as her body moved. Dean helped her to her feet and supported her weight as best he could without lifting her into his arms, which she obviously didn't want as even with the minimal help he was trying to provide, she pushed him away slightly.

"I'm fine." She said after a moment of steadying herself and he let go. She was a bit wobbly for a few seconds, but found her footing quickly. Though she was limping slightly, she seemed capable enough for him to hand her his knife, which she took with an addled lift of her eyebrow. "Really? You don't have an extra gun?"

"Oh, I do." He said quickly. "I just still don't trust you."

With an angry exhale, she pushed past him and to the door. But stopped. "What about Seth?"

"I trust Seth." He answered.

"That's not what I meant, asshole."

"I know what you meant." He snapped back. "I stand by what I said. I trust Seth to do his job."

Though she didn't seem to accept that answer 100%, she gave him a quick acknowledgement and slipped out the door. He followed, making sure to keep a wary eye on her.

She led him to another hallway where decrepit and faded children's paintings and drawings hung in forgotten silence on the walls. He could hear the distinct sounds of children now and he sped past her to the source, another unassuming wooden door. This time he didn't hesitate in pulling it open and narrowly missed being hit with a heavy object as it hurdled past his face. It was a toy. Looking back, there were desks piled against the doorframe forming a barricade and a line of children of varying ages wielding anything heavy they could get their hands on. The ringleader of which held a yard stick in her small hands and was expertly telling the others to fire. Several more objects were hurled at him and Nikki, which they avoided by ducking behind the makeshift barricade. Then there was a pause and a command to stop. "Daddy?"

Dean stood, grinning ear to ear as she looked at him, yardstick still held tight. "Evy!"

She dropped her weapon and ran toward him, climbing over the barricade until he was able to lift her into his arms and hug her tight. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her head in his shoulder. He kissed her head, her cheek, anywhere he could, just so unbelievably happy to have her back.

"Are you alright, baby?" He asked as he put her down and looked her over for any signs of injury. When he found none, he took her small, smiling face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Did you stage a rebellion?"

Her grin widened as she nodded enthusiastically. He laughed despite himself and pulled her close again. "That's exactly what I would have done."

He took her small hand in his as he stood. Nikki had already dismantled the barricade and was shuffling kids out into the hallway, speaking to them as best she could in limited Russian and English. "We need to get these kids out of here." She said to him.

He took stock of all the children in front of him and tapped his earpiece. "Punk, does your little eye in the sky see any transport close that could hold 30 kids?"

" _There's a school bus at the back of the building, but I have no idea is it works._ "

He relayed this information to Nikki and she thought about it. Then she turned to the little ones and asked if any of them spoke English. A few of the older ones raised their hands and Dean and Nikki shared a look.

"Can you tell everyone to grab a friend and hold hands?" She said to an older boy who couldn't be more than 11 years old. He nodded slowly and spoke to the group in Russian. Every kid grabbed the hand of the child next to them, with one little boy no older than Evy grabbing Dean's free hand and holding it tightly. He looked frightened, but Dean recognized his blue eyes. The light contrast with his dark hair looked awfully familiar. He knelt down to his level and smiled at him.

"English?" He asked the small child. When the little boy nodded, he asked him what his name was.

"Alexi." He answered in a quiet voice.

"Alexi, is your mother's name Anna?"

The small boy nodded and Dean took his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. "I promised her I'd get you home to her." He said with an encouraging grin. "You hold my hand, okay?"

Again the boy nodded. Dean swept Evy into his arms and held out his free arm to the little boy, ignoring the ache in the broken bone. He turned to Nikki, who had a little girl in her arms, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Ok, let's get this train moving." He said and started walking quickly in the direction they had come. "Punk, I need a route."

" _Dean, I don't think this is a good idea._ " He buzzed in his ear. " _I haven't heard anything from the others. Somethings up, man._ "

"I can't worry about that right now." Dean responded, ignoring the side eye from Nikki. "I have 30 scared kids to get out of this dump."

There was a disapproving sigh then a set of instructions that would lead the to the back of the school the quickest. Dean and Nikki shuffled slower than they would have liked with 30 kids in tow, but they were moving. But, when he turned a corner, there was a line of guards waiting for them, guns ready, led by the Miz, who smirked at the pair and their walking cargo.

Dean put Evy down and moved her, Alexis, and anyone else he could behind him. It was a meager attempt at protecting everyone, but it was the best he could do.

"I knew you'd show up eventually." Miz sneered, knowing he had the upper hand.

Dean chanced a look back at Nikki. The other end of the hall was blocked off with another set of guards. She was mirroring him, pushing as many kids as she could behind her. He cursed to himself. They were screwed...or so he thought.

"Papa?" A small voice said behind him. A little girl was stepping forward and into the open. Dean couldn't grab her without relinquishing his stance. Oh of the guards dropped his weapon and they both ran to each other, hugging and crying at the joyous reunion. It wasn't long before all of the guards were doing the same. In the end, only Evy and the little boy Alexi were left. Dean couldn't help the smile or the smirk at Miz as each man took their child and walked away.

Without the muscle behind him, Miz was exposed. "No! You do not abandon me!"

"Looks like you're outta luck, Miz." Dean chuckled.

"This isn't over!" The other man yelled as he broke into a sprint away from them. Dean was even half tempted to follow him and put him out of his misery once and for all. One look at Evy and that thought disappeared.

"Well, that was easy." Nikki said from behind him. "Looks like we won't need that bus after all."

"We can get out through the boiler room." He said. "That's the way I came in. We still don't know how many are loyal to Rusev without having their kids held hostage."

She nodded her acceptance and took a hold of Alexi's hand as Dean pick Evy up.

" _So...no more bus?_ " Punk buzzed through. " _You need to pick a direction and stick to it. I am not your personal gps, I hate rerouting!_ "

"Punk, for real this time, I'm going to punch you in the face the next time I see you."

" _Promises, promises._ "

* * *

 **MsConCon: I meant to put this on the last review you did. yes, it's been six years since the shield broke up. I figure, Dean quit right after he killed Barrett. Sometimes I want to write those cheesy, fluff filled years of daddy Dean trying to figure out on his own how to change a diaper, deal with a crying kid, first scraped knee, and so on. Maybe one day.**

 **Nangle4: thank you sweetheart, I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

 **Lakeshachestnut: thanks for the review! I'm glad I'm an inspiration to you! You're awesome!**


	14. Forget

Dean held Evy close as they made their way to the boiler room. Nikki was in toe, keeping up with every twist and turn he made. By now she was carrying the boy in her arms as they rushed to the exit. Dean knew Miz would try to find reinforcements, and now he had no way of defending against a second wave of men. All he could do was try and get out as quick as he could.

"Dean, you've got a problem." Punk buzzed in his ear.

"One at a time, Punk." He responded, taking another turn. They were almost there, almost free.

He could hear Punk sigh, he was unusually serious when he came through again. "No, this is a big problem."

Dean paused, confused why this would be a problem. Before he could respond, there was a clicking noise through the earpiece as Punk changed the connection. But it wasn't Seth who came through, it was Kevin. "Hey there, Deano!" Dean stopped in his tracks. "How's things?"

"What is going on?" Nikki asked, concern on her face as she began to realize something was very wrong.

"Kevin, you son of a bitch!" He spat.

"Name calling won't help your friends, will it?" Kevin responded. "You don't get it, do you? Why would I chase after you, when I can have you come to me? Work smarter, not harder, Ambrose. So here's the deal, you come to the main hall quietly and I won't shoot your friends in the head."

"DON'T DO IT!" He heard Seth's muffled yell in the background and the 'oof' sound of him being hit.

"You have ten minutes, then I start separating body parts."

Again there was a clicking sound as the connection was dropped and Punk came back in. "Dean, you should think this through."

Dean ignored him and removed the earpiece and handed it to Nikki. She took it hesitantly. Having not been privileged to the conversation, she didn't know what to make of the situation. All she knew was Dean had that determined, anxious look about him. He was twitchy, drumming his fingers on his collarbone. "What the hell is going on?"

He wasn't making eye contact. In actuality, he was emphatically avoiding it. She had never worked with Ambrose as an agent, but she remembered him in Venice and as Jon Moxley, when she had to pretend he wasn't Dean. This, was more Moxley than she had ever seen him be since then. Once he began to pace, she had to pull him away from the concerned eyes of the children, his child. "You need to take a breath." She whispered. "You're scaring Evy."

At the mention of her name, Dean finally looked Nikki in the eye as if realizing he was freaking out. He even looked at his daughter, sure now that she was as confused as the eyes of the Shield agent holding onto his arm. He took a deep breath and calmed himself before relaying what had happened through the earpiece as quietly as he could.

"I have to go." He spoke softly. "I'm pretty sure Kevin isn't the bluffing type."

"I'll go with you." She said.

"No!" He answered quickly. "Someone needs to get them out of here to safety."

She said nothing, conceding the point. Then he took the gun from the holster and handed it to her. "I'm trusting you again, don't make me regret it. Follow Punks instructions, get to his place, it's safe."

"You know this is a bad idea?"

He smiled, a knowing grin that again reminded her of Moxley. "Honey, I've made a career based on bad ideas."

"What about evy?" She whispered again. "What if you don't come back?"

He glanced back at Evy, watching her watch him. "Get her to Paige. That's her godmother. Granted, if I don't bring her husband back, she would kill me anyway. Take the boy to the woman named Anna on the ship I came in on. Tell her I kept my promise."

"You act like you're not expecting to come back."

"Just do it, Nikki."

She nodded and put the earpiece in her ear, making contact with Punk as Dean knelt down to Evy. He felt like he had done this a lot recently, letting her go. He didn't like it. He didn't like putting her through all this uncertainty. She was only six. What would her mother think? His stomach dropped at the thought. But, he smiled at her, knowing she would see right through his facade. "Evy, Uncle Seth and Uncle Roman need help. I'm going to go do that. You go with Nikki and she'll keep you safe."

"Is it like the stories again?" She asked quietly.

He nodded, "But we'll be ok, just like before."

She said nothing else, but threw her arms around him and hugged him. He kissed her on the cheek. With one last nod at Nikki, he watched as they headed in the opposite direction. He watched as they turned a corner and disappeared.

* * *

He was going to make Kevin pay. This was it, he was going to finish him off. He didn't know what to expect what he would find when he got there, but Roman and Seth on their knees in front of the door, their hands on the back of their heads, with Cesaro standing over them with a gun in each hand, the barrels pressed against the back of their heads, was not it. He expected Kevin, Rusev, anyone other than one of their own.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He spat, throwing his hands up in disgust. "How long have you been a double agent?"

Cesaro grinned, satisfied at the reaction from the Lunatic Fringe. "Long enough. Now, forfeit any weapons you may have and let's get this over with."

Dean growled as he pulled his only knife from his boot and kicked it aside. "Where's Kevin?"

His answer came from a blow to the back of his shoulder, the one previously dislocated, which sent him tumbling to the dirty tiled floor. They had planned that sneak attack, and he had to give it to them for catching him off guard. But Kevin's boot at his shoulder blade and the pressure applied there was enough to make him grimace in pain. How did he know about the shoulder? He even cried out when the large man grabbed his left arm and wrenched it back, putting more pressure on the joint. He was going to dislocate it again.

He could see Seth and Roman seething, itching to help him, but they dared not make a move. He was glad for that at least. He'd rather take the brunt of the pain then have either of them get killed. No one pointed a gun unless they intended to use it, Cesaro was no different.

He could feel Kevin's weight shift as he squared down, more of his hefty weight pressing into dean's shoulder. He took him by the chin and pulled his head back awkwardly, making breathing and struggling difficult as his torso stretched up. He could feel Kevin's warm breath at his ear now, "I think you've met your match, LUNATIC."

"Fuck...you…" Dean somehow managed to breathe out, a final defiance that was met with ridiculing, cruel laughter.

"Don't kill him." He heard in accented English from somewhere out of his line of sight. Rusev was there too. "The Chairman would like to talk to him."

"I'm not going to kill him." Kevin responded, emphasizing his point by increasing the pressure on dean's shoulder, forcing a grunt of pain. "I'm just going to break him."

"Let him go, Kevin!" Seth shouted. "Whatever you want him for, I'll do it. Tyler Black will do it!"

Again, Kevin laughed, but released his hold on dean's chin but not his arm, this time wrenching his already broken wrist and eliciting another cry of anguish from the Lunatic Fringe.

"Shut up, Seth!" Dean ground out through gritted teeth. He would sure as hell not let Seth take his place.

"Yeah, Seth, shut up!" Rusev repeated. "Tyler Black will not work…we need Jon Moxley."

Dean froze again at the mention of that name. He sure as hell wouldn't let them torture him like that again. He couldn't take it. Six months of hell created that asshole. "Jon Moxley is dead." He countered.

"No, he's not."

All eyes in the room turned to the new individual as he walked up to the group. He was an older man, already grey with age, but the authoritative air about him gave him a dangerous aura. He was far more muscular than anyone of the Shield boys, former and current, would have thought. His grey suit was barely able to stretch around his frame as he held his hands calmly behind his back and regarded Dean in his prone position. He knelt down to his level and smiled at the dangerous look he was being given from the man in front of him. "Hi there, Moxley."

"Fuck off!" Dean snarled, earning a twist of his wrist from Kevin.

"Chairman, what should we do about these two?" Rusev asked, nodding toward Roman and Seth.

The Chairman grinned wider, his eyes never breaking contact with Deans. "Take them out back and shoot them. They have outlived their usefulness."

"No!" Dean yelled as he struggled useless under Kevin's hold. He watched helplessly as Cesaro and Rusev grabbed his friends, pulled them to their feet even as they struggled, and dragged them away. It was a long moment before anyone talked, the chairman kept his eyes glued to Dean as he struggled.

One gunshot

Two gunshots.

They echoed around the hall like a ghost in the silence. He cried out in anguish, tears filling his eyes and hatred filling his heart. They were dead? They were really dead? They had killed them. His brothers, his friends, his family. He had lost everything. Everyone he ever cared about. His wife, his friends, his daughter he had to let go. Why was he the one to deal with this? Why was he the one to endure?

Pain forgotten, he ignored their laughter and dropped his head to the cool tile and cried. He gave up.

"Get him to his feet." He heard the Chairman instruct and didn't fight Kevin as he lifted him to his wobbly legs. "Do you recognize me at all?"

He stood there, not reacting to anything, numb to it all.

"You should." The Chairman continued. "You were very familiar with my daughter several years ago. My name is Vince."

"I don't care." He whispered, never making eye contact. "Whatever you're going to do to me, just do it."

"No, I want you to know who I am!" He yelled inn Dean's face. "I want you to know that you took my daughter away from me!"

Deans tear filled eyes lifted to meet this Vince's, recognition finally setting in. "Vince...McMahon?"

"Give the man a prize." He growled and Kevin took the opportunity to punch Dean in the gut, forcing him to double over.

Then, he laughed. He didn't know why, but he laughed. Loudly. He was still laughing when he pulled himself to his feet. "You know, I can see the resemblance now. She was nuts and so are you!"

Vince got right in Ambrose's face, noses mere inches away from each other. "You don't talk about her like that!"

Dean shook his head in disbelief. "Do you know what she did to me? Do you know what she made me do? With her? Things I can't even venture to forget. She was a psycho and I don't regret what I did to her."

"You will." Said Vince, moving away. "Moxley will always regret what he did to her."

"I'm not Moxley!"

Vince began circling him slowly. "That's where you're wrong. Do you really think I didn't have a hand in his creation? Tyler Black, your very recently deceased friend,was my son-in-laws project. He didn't have Wade take the precautions I did with you. That's why it took so much longer to create Jon Moxley as you knew him. The way I wanted him made was far more...specific. Wade never mentioned that to your friends, did he? No, my Moxley is ruthless, unfeeling, uncaring. He will do what I ask when I ask it, much like Mr. Owens here. All I need to do, is activate you. Only I can, my voice is the key. It's probably something you've heard a thousand times, yet…"

Dean found himself laughing again, interrupting the Chairman's riveting monologue. "What, with your little code words? Spare me. If you want me dead, just do it. Don't beat around this Jon Moxley shit."

"Oh, I want you dead, and I will kill you myself, but first I have something I need you to do."

"I ain't doing shit for you." He growled out even as Vince's mouth lifted into a sick grin.

"I'm tired of this." He sighed. "Let's get to that activation, Street Dog."

Dean froze. He could feel himself changing as if something had snapped in his brain. It was like a long forgotten friend sneaking up and kicking him in the stomach. Before he knew it, he was on his knees, clutching at his head, trying desperately to fight whatever this was. He didn't want this. Dear god, he would rather be dead then forget...forget...forget…

Forget what?

What wasn't he supposed to forget? Where was Stephanie? No, Stephanie wasn't who he worked for. He worked for someone else...someone needed his skill...someone standing right in front of him, grinning like a maniac. Vince McMahon. Yes.

"What's your name?"

"What the fuck kind of question is that?" He spat angrily, only causing the other man's grin to widen.

"I want to hear you say it."

"I'm the Street Dog, Jon Moxley."

"Very good." Vince said. "Now, I have a job for you to complete with reckless abandon. I want you to kill William Regal, take down HQ from the inside. We will take it from there."

Moxley grinned wickedly thinking of all the things he could do to kill. The possibilities were endless and he planned on getting very creative. "You will need dental records to identify the body when I'm done."

* * *

 **Oh no! Now what have I done?! Moxley is back and badder than ever, William Regal is in for it, Evy is with Nikki, Seth and Roman are dead (or are they?) no, they are...maybe. Please, please continue to read and review! Seriously, it's a great motivation to continue writing!**

 **SamA18: thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked it!**

 **Nangel4: you're reviews are awesome, as always.**


	15. The Street Dog is off the Leash

Seth's mind was reeling. So much had happened in the last five minutes. A glance at Roman and he knew the large Samoan felt the same. He was sweating, nervously biting his bottom lip as they were led out the back of the school. The guns never left the back of their heads as they were forced to stand against a brick wall already peppered with bullet holes. He wondered absently how many people had been killed in this very spot. People he and Roman were about to join. His heart was beating faster and faster as the moment drew closer. This was it.

"Any last words?" Rusev asked with a large, unfeeling smile on his face.

"Yeah." Roman said, to Seth's surprise. He was much more of the strong, silent type in comparison to his partners, never giving the opposition cause to use anything against him. Hell, even talking to his friends was like pulling teeth sometimes. But when he had something to say, he made sure everyone knew what he was thinking. "Go to hell."

It was short and sweet and directly to the point. It made Seth chuckle. Roman joined in and within a few seconds, both Shield agents were laughing to the chagrin of their captors.

"Give me a gun." The Bulgarian instructed Cesaro, holding out his large hand for the firearm.

The Swiss man shook his head, "No, allow me."

When Cesaro squared up, the laughter that had previously filled the space dissipated to angry breathing. Two guns were pointed, one at Seth and the other at Roman, both dangerously itching to fire, and both deadly. Then he started counting. "One…"

Seth's closed his eyes as his mind turned to Paige, his wife. She was so beautiful. She was his rock, his heart and soul, his everything.

"Two…"

He wondered about their unborn child. What would they be like? Would they know about him? What would Paige tell them about their father? He was a strong man? Or that he was stupid enough to get shot in Moscow? Would she move on? He hoped she would…

"Three."

One gunshot. A scream. Cursing. Was that Roman? Was Roman dead at his side? Another shot and he jumped at the anticipation, but another strangled cry and then silence. Was that his own scream? Was he dead? Is this what death felt like? He didn't feel dead.

When he realized he was, in fact, still alive, he opened his eyes. They darted to Roman first. Their eyes met in utter bewilderment as their heart rates slowed to a more normal speed.

Cesaro stood over the body of Rusev, a bullet wound in the Bulgarians thigh and another in his head. Seth and Roman both stared at the scene in bewilderment, mouths agape at the man now reholstering his weapons.

"I'm sorry about that boys." He said as if it were just a friendly accident and not an almost assassination. "We've been after him for years."

"What the actual fuck, Cesaro!?" Seth found himself screaming.

"I did say I'm sorry." The Swiss man answered with a chuckle. "No hard feelings."

Roman stalked up to the man and landed a hefty right hook to his chin, causing Cesaro to tumble to the grass. When he was sure the Swiss agent was listening, he pointed a finger in his face as he rubbed the now swelling bruise on his chin. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

Again, he laughed as he pulled himself to his feet. "Antonio Cesaro. I'm an agent for the European branch of Headquarters. We're separate but equal entities. Rusev has been wreaking havoc all over the continent and had to be stopped. My mission is complete here."

"Your mission?"

"Yeah, I was sent to HQ to get your Intel on Rusev. i've been feeding the Bulgarian brute just enough to get him to trust me. Regal knew exactly what I was doing. I was going to complete my job once you and Nikki figured out what he was doing. But, things don't happen quite as expected I suppose."

Seth shook his head, "So you're an assassin?"

"Essentially." He answered. "But I have to say, it was truly an honor working with the original Shield members. Your missions are studied by new recruits."

"Shit! Dean!" Roman yelled and broke into a sprint toward the school followed immediately by Seth and Cesaro.

* * *

"How much do you remember about Dean Ambrose?" The chairman asked Moxley after he had pulled himself to his feet and stood tall once again.

"enough." He answered. "I'm supposed to meet at the location of CM Punk."

"Good." Said Vince with a wicked smile. "Here's what I want you to do. From this moment forward, you are Jon Moxley playing Dean Ambrose. You will follow protocol. Go to this Punk's place, be convincing. They will take you to Headquarters for debriefing where I'm sure William Regal will be in attendance. Get him alone and kill him. Be as creative as you like. You have one week, then we attack with the rest of our force."

Jon nodded his understanding and mirrored Vince's grin with his own menacing smile. "This is going to be fun. Just call me The Lunatic Fringe."

"Dean!" They heard yelled from somewhere around the corner.

Vince got in close and whispered, "Your time starts now" before landing a quick succession of punches to his gut. Kevin quickly grabbed Dean by the neck and pulled him up just as Seth, Roman, and Cesaro turned the corner.

"Let him go!" Seth yelled.

Cesaro had his gun trained on Vince, ready to fire as soon as he was sure Dean was out of harm's way.

Kevin laughed, "So I'm guessing that since you're standing here...with Cesaro...Rusev is dead?"

No one answered, not that they needed to. They each stared each other down, good vs bad, right vs wrong, and nothing in between them but a tension filled silence. Neither side was making a move, nothing was happening. That is, until Dean reared back an elbow and connected with Kevin's sternum, forcing the hold break. That's when Vince and his lackey made a break for it. He moved pretty fast for an old man.

Roman made to run after them, but stopped when Dean grabbed his arm. "They have nothing. Let's just go. Please."

Maybe it was the feigned sincerity in his voice, but he could see Roman give in. The large Samoan man took him by the shoulders and gave him a good look over. If Moxley cared, he'd be touched by the concern. "Are you ok?" He asked, pulling the smaller man into a crushing hug. Did he hug back? Would Dean hug back? He settled on patting Roman lightly on the back and answering with a quick nod.

"Where's Evy?" He heard Seth ask and for a moment he had to think about who that was. A child...his child? Ugh. Children.

"I found Nikki." He answered, trying not to let the disgust show. "She took her to Punks."

He could see the visible sigh of relief from Seth and Roman and he had to remind himself not to roll his eyes at the display of emotion. After all, Dean would not act in such a way.

Then the other spoke and Moxley could not remember his name. For a second, he panicked, but definitely kept it hidden as the other man's accent began scratching against his brain. "Let's get back to Punks and get back to HQ."

Moxleys ears perked up, "Yes. Let's go home."

The other three led the way out of this god forsaken hell hole of a school. None saw the small grin on his face as he followed. None suspected him. Just a few more days as Dean Ambrose. Just a few more days playing the part of the hero.

They had no idea what was coming.

The Street Dog was off the leash.

* * *

A Headquarters holding cell. That's where he found himself when he came to. It looked different, smaller than he remembered it to be. He vaguely remembered how he got here. He was staring down Stephanie's father, he was grinning at him like he knew something bad was about to happen. Then, it was as if someone tugged his very soul out of his body and locked it away. Locked it away in the HQ cell. The very same HQ cell his other personality was locked in all those years ago.

He looked down at himself, unsure of what to make of the new situation he found himself in. Strangely, he was dressed in his Shield gear - black cargo pants, black tank top, and black tactical vest. Is this how his mind viewed himself? Once Shield, always Shield he supposed. But, that didn't matter when he was trapped in his own head, did it?

"Hey there buddy!" He heard spoken from outside the cell. His head snapped up to look at the voice he recognized and his lips curled into a snarl. The alter ego known as Jon Moxley sat in a chair, his feet outstretched and his hands lazily resting on the back of his head as he watched him with amused interest. He was cockier than Dean remembered, exuding a confidence that Dean hadn't seen in ages. He was dressed like him, well the him of now - jeans and a tee shirt. Hell, his wrists were even taped like they had been. "Long time, no see."

Dean rushed the bars and reached through to get to him. He wanted to tear him apart, piece by piece. He was just short, his hands uselessly clawing. He couldn't reach and Moxley laughed at his struggle.

"Did you miss me?" The alter ego asked with a wink.

"Let me out and I'll show you!"

Again, Moxley chuckled. "I can't do that, Deano. See when you finally kicked me out of your head, I didn't actually leave. I was stuck just where you are, stewing, plotting, waiting for my chance to take over again. You know, I would even say I went a bit crazy in there. You can get pretty damn creative when you have nothing to do but plot your revenge. Then, wouldn't you know it, today the door opened! And here you are, in my spot. What a twist of fate, huh?"

Dean growled low in his throat. "You son of a bit-"

"Hey!" Moxley interrupted. "No name calling! I mean, really, Dean. You kiss your wife with that mouth? Oh wait, I guess you don't."

That cut Dean deeper than any insult the other personality could have ever hurled at him and, based on the evil grin spreading across his face, Moxley knew it.

"Yeah, that's the look I was hoping for." Moxley sneered. He stood from the chair, again just out of Dean's reach, and smoothed out the wrinkles on his t-shirt. "Whelp, I gotta go. Enjoy captivity, Ambrose."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Moxley laughed. "I've got people to kill. I work for Stephanie's father now. I mean, I was a bit bummed out when you stabbed her to death with a scalpel, but hey, she honestly deserved it. Now, I have more freedom to do the things I want to do and not just play house with her. I've had six years to think of all the fun I'd have if I ever got out. I ain't wasting a second of this new found freedom of mine."

"You're just going to leave me like this?" He yelled after his retreating alter ego. "What about my daughter?"

Moxley rounded on him angrily, forcing Dean to take a step back into the cell. "Yes, I am going to leave you here, all nice and tucked away, just like you did to me." He growled before the corners of his mouth again curled into a sinister grin. "This is different from the last time, Dean. I'm different. As for your daughter...I don't know what i've decided about that yet."

"Don't you dare hurt her!"

"Well, that all depends on you, doesn't it?" he laughed before finally walking out of Dean's line of sight.

"Moxley!" Dean screamed at the top of his lungs, kicking at the bars holding him prisoner. "Moxley, come back here! God dammit!"

He kicked and screamed for what felt like hours. trapped in his own mind, who knows how long it actually was. What was he going to do? How was he getting out of this one? He was being held hostage in his own mind with the knowledge that his evil personality was wreaking havoc in his body. What was Moxleys plan here? Just keep him tucked safely away where he couldn't get free? He knew moxley couldn't kill him, just like he couldn't the last time the personalities battled it out.

"Fuck!" He screamed, giving the bars one final kick and plopping himself on the cot with a defeated sigh and gripping the sides of his head in frustration. Then he saw it. Just the corner at first, tucked under the pillow. He pulled it free and flipped it over in his hand. His heart stopped for a moment and he couldn't help the smile that formed at the corners of his mouth. It was the photo of he and Abby dancing, the one Moxley had stolen from her all those years ago. It was tattered and worn with age, but he had kept it.

He hadn't even realized he had begun crying until an errant tear fell onto the corner of the photograph. He touched her smiling face. She wouldn't want him to give up. She would want him to fight this. This exact situation is what cost her her life in the first place.

No. He wouldn't let Moxley get away with this.

Not this time.

Not ever.

* * *

 **A/n: of course I didn't kill Seth and Roman. I need them for later :)**


	16. Bravado

**This is hopefully not going to be confusing. Just to recap, Dean is trapped in his own head while Moxley has control of his body and pretending to be Dean. People will call Moxley Dean and he will respond. However, I will write his actions as Moxley. Does that make sense? I really hope so. Please continue to let me know what you think. Maybe I'll even break 100 reviews!**

* * *

"Where the fuck is my bike, Ambrose!?" Punk damn near screamed when the four showed up at his front door again. Moxley had to hold in the urge to strangle him as he got right in the much taller man's face. "You said you'd bring it back!"

"It's safe." He responded with a roll of his eyes. "It's just a motorcycle."

In all honesty, he had no idea where Dean had hidden the bike. When he took over his mind, certain bits of information did not transfer. Only Dean would be able to fill in the blanks, but he doubted the Shield agent would cooperate.

"Hey!" Seth snapped and all eyes looked at him. "Cool it you two! Punk, is Nikki here?"

He didn't have to answer as she appeared at the doorway to Punks kitchen and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god!"

But it wasn't Seth she ran to, it was Roman. She threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on the large Samoan to the utter astonishment of the rest of the group.

"Interesting." Moxley mused to himself.

"What is happening?" Seth said aloud. "How long has this been going on? You know what, doesn't matter. Where's Evy?"

That's right, dean's daughter. Moxley felt a parental tug that could only be residual emotions from Dean. He felt happy and anxious and thankful all at once. It sickened him. How could someone get so attached to a tiny person who could not rely on themselves for anything? No, Dean would not make him feel this way!

"Dean?" Nikki was staring at him in confusion. "You alright?"

"I'm fine." Moxley answered, flashing her his best, confident smile.

"Good." She said, though seemingly unconvinced. He made a note to make sure he kept an eye on her. Then she called for Evy.

It was only a moment later that the little girl, dirty with grime from the sewer that they escaped through, came bouncing through the door. Her eyes lit up at the sight of him and Moxley had to suppress the urge to scowl. Instead, he knelt down, a forced grin on his face, as he spread his arms for her. She started running toward him happily, but her face changed and she slowed down, stopping a few feet away from him. She was staring at him as if she didn't recognize the man staring back at her. In fact, she went right past him and jumped into Seth's arms, burying her head in his shoulder as all every turned to glare in shock at moxley.

Somehow, he managed to force some tears and a sad, hurt look as he stood to face deans daughter in Seths arms. "Evy, it's daddy." He said, trying to get the little girl to talk to him. She wouldn't even look at him.

"She's been through alot." Seth said, still keeping a wary eye on Dean. "Maybe she just needs some time."

The Shield captain carried Evy out of the room, Moxley watching her. She looked up at him as Seth turned the corner. In that instant, Moxley knew she knew he was not her father.

* * *

Dean paced the cell in his own head, trying to think of a way out. He couldn't let Moxley run amok. Left to his own devices, his alter ego would destroy everything. The man felt no remorse, no sympathy, nothing. Nothing but the overwhelming need to wreak havoc on everyone and everything. Dean could feel it. He was everything Dean was not.

Or was he?

Dean couldn't help the sinking suspicion that Moxley and him were one in the same; two sides to a very fucked up coin. Moxley was all that was wrong with Dean while Dean was everything that was right with Moxley. One personality divided by torture and manipulation. They couldn't exist without each other, could they? The thought worried him.

Footsteps drew his attention from his thoughts. He knew who this was going to be and he braced himself. Sure enough, Moxley came into view looking none to happy, fuming with hands balled into tight fists.

"Come to let me out? So soon? Couldn't handle the real world?" Dean asked with a sly smirk. He knew he got under his alter egos skin when the other did nothing but snarl at him.

"What is wrong with your kid?"

Dean chuckled, "She figured you out, didn't she?"

"She is going to ruin everything." Moxley growled. "That makes her a liability."

Dean's smile fell, "You will not touch her. I won't allow it."

"Yeah, I've already felt your feelings toward the little brat." Moxley countered. "I hate them. How could you even begin to love something that can't even survive on its own. It's pointless."

"Don't lie to me and tell me you've never felt what it's like to love." Dean snapped back, holding the picture up for Moxley to see. "Otherwise, why would you keep this?"

Moxley reached through the bars for the photo, "Hey! That's mine!"

Dean quickly pulled it away and out of his reach only to pocket it again. "Technically, it's mine. Why did you keep it?"

"That's none of your fucking business!" He yelled. "Give it to me!"

Dean smirked again, "Come in and get it."

Moxley growled in frustration before pointing an angry finger at him. "You think that'll outsmart me?"

"No." Dean replied. "I think it pisses you off."

"You're damn right it pisses me off!"

"Good!" Dean snapped back. "I know why you kept it. You loved her because I loved her. She was everything to me! Thats why you feel so strongly about Evy. Because she's the last piece of Abby I have. She's everything to me now."

"You're pathetic."

"Am I? Because where I'm standing, you're the pathetic one."

Then Moxley grinned a worrying smile that almost cracked Deans bravado. "We'll see about that."

* * *

Seth carried Evy to Punks bedroom to clean her up. They had no extra clothes for her, but he could at least wipe the grime and dirt off her face and limbs.

She hadn't spoken since running away from her father, which was highly unusual for his godchild. She wasn't shy, nor did she ever ignore Dean. Her father was her world and always had been. She was the quintessential daddies girl.

He put her down and knelt down to her level to get a good look at her, but she wouldn't look him in the eye until he said her name. "Evy?"

When her little blue eyes looked up, he could see tears brimming at the corners and he wiped an errant one away with his thumb. "What's the matter, Squirt? Why did you run from your father? He misses you."

She leaned in to his ear so she could whisper something. "Something's wrong with my daddy."

Seth knew Evy had her mother's gift, so he didn't take her concerns lightly. "What do you mean?"

The little girl looked away and shook her head. "I'm afraid to tell you. He might hear me."

Again Seth wiped her tears away with his thumb and, In an attempt to quell her fear, he closed the bedroom door before turning back to her and placing comforting, but stern hands on her shoulders. "He won't hear now. You can tell me."

"You won't tell him I told you, will you Uncle Seth?"

He held up two fingers, "Scouts honor."

She hesitated for a few more seconds then again leaned in to whisper in his ear. What she said sent chills down his spine.

"That's not my daddy."


	17. Moscow 2013

**So, in the last chapter, I did put in a small bit about a Roman/Nikki angle that I had been toying with. In all honesty, I meant to take it out. It wasn't until the amazing NANGEL4 pointed it out in a review did I realize I forgot. But, I'm going to leave it for now. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.**

* * *

Seth didn't know what to do. He believed Evy. The look in her frightened eyes was enough to break his heart. He had never seen the little girl act like that, even when she and her father had been taken against their will. She was terrified of whoever she believed her father to be. And he didn't have to guess at who.

Jon Moxley, deans alter ego. Created through manipulation and torment. He was crazy, obsessed, and delusional when he was under Stephanie's control. But Stephanie was dead, leaving the already unstable personality on his own. Something must have happened when they were lead out of the school hall; some sort of forced relapse.

The question remained, did he out the man as Moxley or keep an eye on him to see what he was up to? He had quickly decided on the latter, instructing Evy to try her best to keep quiet and act as normal as she could around her father. He had told her, "Daddy is sick right now and he's going to need you to make him better. Do you think you can do that?"

He remembered how Abby had gotten through to the piece of Dean locked away in Moxleys head all those years ago. He didn't know if this was a similar situation, but he knew Dean's love for his daughter could bring him back again, but it wasn't guaranteed.

So, Seth would keep a close watch of the man playing at being his friend. As he approached the group again after cleaning up Evy and setting her to play with the boy Alexi, he could see it now. Dean, or rather the man in Dean's body, was good. Very good in fact. He had Dean's mannerisms down, his facial expressions, his voice inflection, even his emotions. But, looking closely, he could see what Evy saw. It was forced, all of it. It was like the man was playing at being himself. It was an Oscar worthy performance, but a performance none the less.

He leaned against the doorframe and watched, trying to be as nonchalant as he could. Dean, Nikki, Roman, and Cesaro were discussing transport back to the states, none paying attention when Seth approached.

"We should get the boy back to his mother first." Nikki had said and Seth watched Dean for a reaction. There was none.

"That's a nine hour trip by car." cesaro answered her.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, I know. Last time I did it in the trunk of a cadillac. Right Seth?"

Deans blue eyes looked directly at him and watched with a grin on his face as if remembering some inside joke only the two of them shared. It pissed him off that he was looking at Dean but it was not Dean looking back at him. He tried to play along, and hoped his face gave nothing away, but he couldn't stop the small, testing question that came out of his mouth in response. "Yeah, just like the last time we were in Moscow, right Dean?"

"We don't talk about the last time we were in Moscow." Dean answered with a small laugh.

It was the correct answer with the wrong type of emotion. Dean would not have laughed about the last time they were in Moscow. That's because the last time they were in Moscow, Dean had been clinically dead for ten minutes.

* * *

 _Moscow, Russia 2013_

 _Seth ran. He ran as fast as he could. His leg hurt, his body was exhausted, and his lungs burned with every single intake of breath. But he ran through the frozen Moscow countryside. He had to. It was run or die._

 _He chanced a look behind him and cursed. The motorcycles were gaining on him despite his best efforts to bob and weave out of their trajectory. They would catch him. They were going to catch him! How he had gotten this far on foot was a miracle, but he was running out of steam._

 _"Seth!" He heard screamed over the rushing of the wind past his ears, the sound of the bikes, and the short bursts of gunfire. It was dean driving a Landrover at speed toward him. "Get in the goddamn car!"_

 _He didn't have to be asked twice as the back door swung open to reveal Roman grinning at him. "Need a lift?"_

 _the Big Dog held out his hand and Seth grabbed it as he kept toward the moving suv. His food landed on the running board as Roman grabbed at him, pulling him into the backseat. Dean made a hard left and the door slammed closed behind him._

 _"You ok buddy?" Dean asked as roman helped Seth up into a sitting position._

 _"I...fucking told you...that was a bad…idea!" He gasped out, heaving huge lungful a of oxygen as his body finally got a break._

 _"So did I!" Punk chimed in from the front seat. "Why didn't you listen to me!"_

 _"Shut up, both of you!" Dean snapped. "Did you get what we needed?"_

 _With a roll of his eyes, Seth reached into his pocket and held up the small flash drive._

 _Dean took it and turned it over in his hand, "See, not a total waste of time. I had faith in yah, Sethie boy!"_

 _"How did you even know it'd be there?" Punk asked._

 _He had no time to respond. The motorcycles had caught up to them and were flanking either side of the Land Rover._

 _"Fuck!" Dean spat, pressing his foot to the floor in an effort to outrun the mercenaries trying to kill them. but the bikes were keeping pace._

 _Roman opened the passenger side door and slammed it directly into one of them. He spun out of control and crashed. With the door open, He was able to fire at another, sending him crashing as well. Seth followed suit, opening the door just as a motorcycle was attempting to speed past. The rider collided with the open door, dislodging it from the car and sending both it and the rider on a crash course with a telephone pole. But that's when the tides turned._

 _Punk brandished a knife and implanted it in dean's thigh, causing him to vere side to side. "Give me the flash drive!"_

 _"Jesus Christ!" Dean yelled over the pain._

 _"Punk! What the fuck!" Seth cried out._

 _Roman took the opportunity to grab him around the neck, distracting the tattooed man. He pulled the knife out of Dean and slashed Romans forearm. Seth tried to help, but Punk lifted the knife, ready to plunge it into his chest. Dean got an arm out just in time to take the brunt of the damage._

 _However, Dean had lost control of the vehicle and they spun out. The high center of gravity of the Landrover sent it on its side and rolling. When it was all over, the SUV sat on its roof._

 _Seth had just managed to come to while punk was fiddling with Dean's hand, trying to pry the flash drive from it. Dean was conscious enough at that point to give him a warning. "Next time I see you, I'm putting a bullet int your head."_

 _"I'm sorry, Dean." Punk said sincerely. "I'll call an ambulance for you three."_

 _True to his word, an ambulance arrived twenty minutes later. By then, all three men were unconscious. It was later described to him that Dean took the brunt of the damage._

 _He awoke an hour later to find Roman sitting by the hospital bed._

 _"You alright?" He asked the large Samoan with a voice hoarser than he thought._

 _"Broken arm, concussion, busted ear drum." He answered with a shrug. "All-in-all, I got away lucky. They said you have multiple injuries."_

 _"What about Dean?"_

 _Roman shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't heard anything. They took him into surgery pretty quickly."_

 _The doctors came in twenty minutes later to give them an update. The prognosis wasn't good. Within the hour, they had told Seth and Roman that Dean was declared dead. They both took the news hard. But, ten minutes after that, the doctor came running back with a grin telling them he was alive! They didn't know how he did it, but he was alive._

 _Dean did make a full recovery, but was never quite the same. He never wanted to talk about the mission or what had happened to him. But Seth knew he was changed by it._

* * *

Seth smiled back at Dean and the group continued to talk amongst themselves.

"What's the matter?" He heard whispered from behind him. Punk was standing there looking at him quizzically. What he that obvious?

Seth pulled the man aside and out of earshot. "Punk, have you noticed anything strange about Dean?"

"You mean other than the fact that he's a total asshole? No." He answered. "Have you?"

"I don't think that man in there is Dean Ambrose."

Punk raised an eyebrow, "It sure as hell looks like him."

"Yeah, it does." Seth responded. "You know what, it's been a long day. Forget I said anything."

Punk raised an eyebrow at him, "Do you have a good reason to believe it's not Ambrose?"

Seth didn't answer. He simply smiled and again told the other man to forget he said anything. Dragging punk into this wasn't the smartest of ideas given he and deans history. Last thing he needed was to give Moxley, or Punk for that matter, a reason to do something stupid.

Roman appeared at the door frame and gave them both a questioning look. "Hey, Shield captain, maybe you should join this discussion."

"I'll be there in a second."

Roman nodded and disappeared. Seth gave Punk a warning. "Say nothing to anyone."

"You told me to forget it, so I won't say a word."

"Good."


	18. Cause and Effect

Despite his best efforts to limit deans access to HQ equipment, Seth was shot down in the decision to drive to the docks in where they would return the boy to his mother on the ship and then get to Cesaro's plane still parked at the airfield. Upon thinking about it, maybe HQ was the best place for Moxley to be. It was heavily fortified with more than enough agents to protect against anything one man could do. His next dilemma was when and how to bring it up to Roman. Would Roman even believe him? At this point it was Moxleys word against his and a six year old and it had already been established that the man was convincing.

He wondered as he packed his gear if Dean, the real Dean, could see and hear them. He remembered being Tyler Black and how he was a prisoner in his own head with front row seats to his own mayhem. But, even then it wasn't consistent. It was like getting bits and pieces of a disjointed movie. Could Moxley block Dean out completely? He had no way to know, no way to find out.

Thankfully, and to her credit, Evy listened to Seth. No long after their conversation, she approached the man in her father's body and climbed into his lap. It was slow and hesitant, but once she placed her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat, she relaxed into him. She must have found a familiar sound there, one comforting to her. Moxley, the villain that he was, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. Seth could see now that he was forcing himself to be affectionate toward her. Yet, despite her efforts, Seth knew Moxley was dangerous and would not leave he and Evy alone. He didn't trust him as far as he could throw him.

Seth watched as Punk approached Moxley and shook his hand. "Listen, Dean, what happened last time, I want you to know I never did anything with the flash drive."

If that were Dean, he would have socked him in the face. Hell, Seth wasn't even part of that conversation and he wanted to punch the man. They all almost died and he never did anything with the flash drive!? He hoarded it, like the rat he was. But Seth couldn't fault him completely. He had called them an ambulance then, and helped them now. It was not a redemption, but it wasn't a death sentence either.

However, the man playing Dean smiled at Punk. He didn't smile happily, or apologetically. No, he smiled darkly, squeezing Punks hand tight. This was not Dean. This was now Moxley. Yet, as Seth made a move toward them, the smile faded and 'dean' was back. Had Punk seen what Seth saw? If he did, his face didn't give it away.

"No hard feelings?"

Again, Dean smiled but didn't answer. He merely shouldered the small bag he was given, took Evy's hand, and walked to the much larger car Cesaro had stolen. They had stolen a lot of cars in their short time here in Russia.

Punk looked at Seth, "You're right."

Seth lifted an eyebrow as he also shouldered his gear. "Am I?"

"If that were Dean, he would have screamed or yelled or punched me for admitting that."

"Yeah, he would have." Seth affirmed a second before he landed a forceful jab to Punks nose. The man recoiled, gripping at his now bloody face. "That's for Dean."

"Goddammit Seth!" He cried out. "That fucking hurt!"

"Good!" Seth replied. "Where is the drive?"

"Here! Fuck!" Punk reached into his pocket and handed the small gadget to him, still prodding at his now broken nose. "I'm sorry man! I was in a bad way, I owed some nasty guys a lot of money. I thought I could sell it."

Seth took the familiar object and pocketed it. "Now, once we leave, get on the horn to HQ, I don't care what kind of channels you have to go through. You tell them we're on our way out of Russia and we should be arriving in two days tops. Mention NOTHING about Dean directly. You just tell them to 'Believe that'. Understood?"

"Believe that?"

"It's code for were compromised but cannot speak further. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Punk snapped. "I fucking understand. I'll get it done."

Seth gave him a small nod, "thanks."

He made to join the others but stopped when Punk called his name.

"If any of you are in Russia again, lose my address. Okay?"

Seth laughed and walked out, leaving CM Punk behind him. Despite their misgivings, he'd miss the bastard.

* * *

Dean lifted the thin mattress and tossed it across the cell. He didn't know what he was looking for, but there had to be something he could use to get himself free. The longer he looked, the more he doubted it, otherwise Moxley would have freed himself sooner. Then a thought struck him. If his mind saw himself as a member of the Shield, maybe he had ALL his shield gear. He started checking the pockets of his vest and damn near squealed with joy when he found his pocket knife and lock picking kit. He was never as good at picking locks as Seth was, always being far better at stealing cars than breaking and entering.

"Dean."

He heard his name and quickly hid the contraband in his pockets. But, this wasn't Moxley calling him. No, this was a woman. He ran to the bars, knowing full well who this was, recognizing that voice anywhere. "Abby!"

She came into view and his breath caught in his throat. She was beautiful as she smiled sweetly at him. She was wearing the same white gown she had wore on their wedding day. It made her glow in the dim light of the cell he found himself in. "Hi Dean."

He fell to his knees at her feet, not even trying to hold the tears back. She knelt down with him and caressed his cheek through the bars. He reached for her and the pair embraced for a long time as he weeped into her shoulder tears of joy and sadness. He was so happy to see her, but he knew she was merely a figment of his unconscious. She wasn't real, no matter how badly he wanted her to be. She broke the hug and lifted his face to look at her, smiling adoringly at him before pressing her lips to his through the bars of the cell.

"I miss you so much." He whispered to her, scared if he spoke any louder she might vanish.

"I know." She said back, lovingly brushing his unruly hair from his forehead like she had done so often when she was alive. "I wish I could say we could stay together, but you know we can't."

He clung to her tighter, "Please stay."

"Dean, you have to get out of here." she said to him. "Don't let Moxley hurt our baby."

"But how do I do that?" he asked and her eyes searched his face as he silently pleaded with her to give him some sort of answer; anything to help him stop the man that wouldn't hesitate to kill and maim as Dean. "How did you get through to me?"

"I don't know." she answered truthfully and he sighed sadly. "You've gotten out of worse than this. You can do it again."

"The only thing worse than this was when they created that bastard Moxley in the first place and took you away from me." he said to her, defeated. "I didn't escape then. How can I now?"

She took his face in both of her hands and made him look her in the eyes, "You will not give up, do you understand me? You will do what you've always done, survive. Seth knows about Moxley."

He drew his brows together, "He does?"

She smiled and nodded. He felt a swelling of pride in his chest when he realized Evy must have told him. His daughter was so smart, so resilient. Knowing Seth, he would make sure nothing happens to her and he was so unbelievably thankful for that.

"So what now?"

She smiled, caressing his face. "You're going to take back control."

"Will you stay with me?"

Her answer came with a kiss and an embrace through the bars of his cell. She sat on the floor with him and they didn't let go of each other for a long time as they held one another close. He closed his eyes against the world he was trapped in, happy to be in her arms once again. Then she began to hum ever so slightly a tune he recognized but couldn't place.

"I love you." He breathed. There was no answer. When he opened his eyes, she was gone, leaving him sitting against the bars alone. He sighed sadly and laid his head against the bars. Even though he wanted to feel sorry for himself, he knew she was right.

He pulled himself to his feet and pulled the lock pick kit from his pocket and set to work on the cell door. But trying to do this backwards without the benefit of being able to see what he was doing would make this process difficult and he cursed when the pick slipped and stabbed him in the finger. "God dammit!"

* * *

"Dean, you're bleeding." Nikki said at his side.

Moxley looked down at his hand and saw the small rivulets of blood flowing from a wound I his finger. He didn't remember cutting himself on anything, but he must have at some point.

"I must have cut myself at Punks. It's nothing."

Seth watched him from side mirror in the front passenger seat as he put the wounded finger in his mouth out of instinct. Everything the man did annoyed him, which didn't go unnoticed by Cesaro as he drove.

"Are you alright, Seth?" he asked, snapping Seth from his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he responded, though he got the distinct feeling that he wasn't believed. But, thankfully, the swiss man dropped it. It was a long drive and any extraneous problems would do nothing but cause dismay amongst the passengers. That was the last thing he needed. Yet, as he looked back, the man in Dean's body was watching him with interest and for a fleeting second, Seth though he may be onto him. As quickly as he thought it, the suspicion grew when 'Dean' smiled at him in a way that most definitely wasn't Dean. He could see the wheels turning in the other man's head, as if he were trying to figure out how he could destroy everyone in this car and get away scott free.

But, Seth knew he wouldn't. No, the brief experience he had with the Moxley personality, he knew the man was cocky enough to make sure everyone knew who he was before he killed them. Since he hadn't done that yet, there was an ulterior motive here. One Seth was determined to find out.


	19. believe That

It was dark by the time they reached the docks, and rain had begun to steadily fall on the area. Thankfully, the ship was still docked where they had last seen it, but it was obvious that they had just intercepted it before it was set to sail again.

Seth eyed the surrounding area for possible hostiles, but found nothing that would pose an immediate threat. Well, nothing but Moxley of course. He climbed out of the car and reached for the small boys hand. The child, not knowing any better, took the outstretched hand and followed Moxley from the car.

Seth immediately followed, fearful to let Moxley go anywhere on his own. . "I'll go with you."

Moxley eyed him curiously, "I can handle this."

Seth did nothing but offer him a small, knowing grin. "I know. But I want to stretch my legs. Evy, stay with Uncle Roman."

The little girl nodded, obviously having no intention of following them, but she did give the little boy a hug. The pair had become close in their short time together and it was apparent she would miss him. "Bye Alexi."

Moxley and Seth's eyes never left each other, a silent dare from the younger man playing all over his face. Moxley smiled and shook his head at him, "Are you alright, man? You seem a bit... _uptight_."

Seth said nothing, he didn't break eye contact, and he didn't back down. Not until an appeasing smile spread across his face and he clapped Dean on the shoulder. "I'm fine. It's been a long few days, that's all. C'mon, let's get him back to his mother."

Seth made an after you type gesture with his arm and Moxley slid past him. Seth didn't see the dark look on the other man's face. Moxley wasn't stupid, nor was he oblivious. He had an inkling Seth was onto him since the meeting in the kitchen when he wouldn't stop staring at him, asking him strange questions, or almost challenging him. Dean's daughter must have sold him out. Now the little brat really was a liability, as was Seth Rollins. He knew he could do nothing to either of them right now as the other three seemed oblivious to him. But that raised the question, if Seth Rollins knew he wasn't Dean Ambrose, why hadn't he said anything to Roman Reigns?

He would have to be careful from here on out, playing the part of the perfect father, friend, agent. Only a few more days and he would have killed William Regal and he would be free of all the McMahons, the authority, and headquarters. He could be his own man and he smiled at the thought of all the things he could do. The prospect thrilled him. For now, he was Dean Ambrose. But soon, the world would know what Jon Moxley was truly capable of.

As they walked to the ship, Seth kept a careful eye on Dean. They approached the gangplank and a sailor immediately recognized them. "Dean Ambrose! We thought they would have killed you?"

Moxley smiled, "No such luck. Is there still a woman named Anna on this ship?"

The sailor nodded and pointed up the ramp. Both men thanked him and followed his instructions. Inside, Moxley caught a glimpse of her. He knew Dean had thought she was pretty, but his limited memories of the woman didn't do her justice. If this were any other situation, he may have pursued her further, but he kept those thoughts to himself as they approached. "Anna?"

She turned around and immediately they could see the shock in her face as her eyes fell on the small boy huddled behind Dean's legs. She held out her arms and the child ran to her. They hugged and cried as they were finally reunited after so long apart. Her tear filled, grateful eyes lifted to meet Deans. "You kept your promise!"

Moxley smiled, a genuine smile since he had taken over this body. He felt...good? Happy? Relieved? He wasn't sure. All he knew was he didn't expect the swelling of accomplishment when she jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him. Nor did he expect it when she grabbed his face and planted a kiss on his lips. He was in a daze when she released him and he knew he was grinning like an idiot.

"Thank you!"

"Yo-you're welcome." He stammered. He glanced at Seth, almost for some sort of confirmation that that had, indeed, happened. The disgusted look on his face was enough of a confirmation. He composed himself quickly. "Listen, you take care of him."

"I will." She answered with a nod.

They said quick goodbyes and he and Seth exited the ship. That's when Moxley took Seth by the arm and pulled him aside. "What is your problem?"

"I don't know what you mean." Seth answered in a way that said he knew exactly what Moxley meant.

Moxley snarled, "Don't play stupid with me, Architect."

Seth pulled his arm free and the pair stared each other down. Seth said nothing and walked away, leaving Moxley to watch him.

Yes, Seth Rollins had to go.

* * *

"Why does this have to be so damn difficult!" He grunted to himself as he futilely tried to open the door. He'd already broken one pick and was well on his way to breaking another. It snapped in his hand not five minutes later.

"Fucking door!" He screamed and threw the broken pick across the room only to come back kicking and screaming against the heavy bars until he exhausted himself. He plopped himself down in a bare corner of the cell and pulled his knees to his chest while clenching and unclenching his fists.

"You really need to calm down, Deano." He heard and sighed as Moxley came into view. He picked up the broken pick and laughed as he turned it over in his hand. "Yeah, picking locks was never your thing was it?"

"Screw you." He responded with a heavy, angry sigh. He never looked at Moxley. He didn't want to see the smug grin on his face as he paced in front of the cell.

"Well, you're in a mood, aren't you?"

Dean didn't respond.

"Ok, fine." Moxley said and Dean could almost hear the disappointment in his voice at his lack of reaction. Good. Yet, to his annoyance, his alter ego just kept on talking. "Ya know, Dean. I think you're going to like it in there. It gets cozy after a few years. Granted, there isn't much to do, but you'll think of something I'm sure."

"Did you come here for a reason?" He snapped suddenly, finally looking at Moxley. "Or are you trying to annoy me to death?"

"There you are!" Moxley responded with a large smile. "I was starting to think you didn't like me anymore."

"Oh, well I can save you the worry." Dean scoffed. "I never liked you."

His other personality feigned a hurt expression. "Dean, that's really depressing. I mean, you don't like yourself?"

He pulled himself to his feet and advanced angrily toward Moxley as his expression changed from fake offense to knowing grin. "Let's get one thing straight here, Moxley. I'm not you and you're not me."

"That's where you're wrong." Said Moxley. "We are both each other; like twins in a fucked up sort of way. You're the good twin and I'm the better twin."

"More like you're the evil twin."

"Exactly." He affirmed with a nod. "I came here to let you know that we've dropped the boy off to his mother. I have to say, she's HOT. Like, MILF material if I ever saw it. Maybe I'll come back after this is all over...you know, pay her a visit."

"You're sick."

"No, you're sick." He said back. "I know you liked, you thought things about her when you met her. But you felt guilty because of your dearly departed wifey. I don't have those feelings."

Dean rolled his eyes and groaned. "Don't you ever get tired of hearing your own voice? What is your endgame here? Or am I just meant to suffer these little chats for the rest of my life?"

"Oh Dean, don't act like you don't miss me when I'm not here."

Dean laughed, "Miss you?! If I could have, I would have killed you when I had the chance."

"But you couldn't." Moxley said and pointed a finger at him. That's when Dean noticed the bandage. It was the same spot he had stabbed himself with the lock pick. Did he cause that? Did that mean he could hurt him? Did that mean he could warn others? Did that mean he could kill him? He said nothing and made no indication he had seen the wound. Rather, he kept his face steady as Moxley continued to monologue like the villain he was. "You couldn't because we are one, Dean! Like I said, twins. Also, I'm pretty sure your buddy, Rollins, knows about me. So first chance I get, I'm going to kill him. Then, William Regal is getting bumped off, your other friends are going to get it too, and maybe I'll drop your kid off at an orphanage so she really can be just like her daddy."

"You bastard!" Dean shouted.

"Yeah, that's what I'll do." Moxley laughed. "I mean, look how you turned out! She'll be fine."

Dean rested his arms on the bars and dropped his head in defeat between them. "What will it take for you to leave them alone, to just walk away?"

Moxley smirked, knowing he had the upper hand now. "Your cooperation. There are certain things that didn't quite transfer when I took over. There is nothing I can do about William Regal. However, you fill in the blanks and I'll think about changing my mind on the rest."

"What do you want to know?"

* * *

They arrived at the airstrip not twenty minutes later, the HQ plane still sitting idle on the Tarmac. Seth glanced at the car clock and sighed, 2:30am. A quick look at Cesaro and he could see the man was barely able to keep his eyes open in the drivers seat. How was he going to fly them back to HQ? In the back, Nikki laid in the crook of Romans arm, sleeping soundly as the large Samoans head lulled against the window. Evy was doing her part, sleeping in Dean's lap with her head pressed against his chest. But Dean, or rather Moxley, was wide awake, watching him again from his position in the back seat.

"We should wait until morning." Cesaro yawned as he put the car in park and stretched out his fingers. "All of us should sleep."

"No!" Seth responded quickly and recovered when Roman startled awake, waking Nikki in the process. "I mean, I can fly us."

"Are you sure?" Dean said from the back. "You're looking a little tired, Seth."

He suppressed the urge to scream at him and merely nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm not even tired."

That was a bold face lie. In actuality, he hadn't slept for almost two days now. But he sure as hell wasn't letting his guard down with Moxley in close proximity to him, his friends, and especially his god daughter. He would be fine. He'd flown under worse conditions.

They piled out of the stolen car and Cesaro and Roman pushed it into a ditch close by to dispose of it. Seth readied the plane, making sure that Dean and Evy were on board with him. Nikki sat next to him in the co-pilots chair and eyed him. She never said a word, just watched him carefully.

She had done it for long enough for him to shift uncomfortably, "What?"

"Are you really ok to fly this thing?" She asked. "You don't look good."

He put on his best smile as he flipped some switches and pressed some buttons on the cockpit dashboard. "I'm ok, really."

"Then why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know." He answered with a shrug.

"You've been acting strange since yesterday." She said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You either know something you don't want to share or you've lost it. Which is it?"

"I'm fine." He said, then he looked her directly in the eye. "You can believe that."

Her eyes widened and she looked around at the passengers in the plane. "Who?" She whispered.

"Dean."

"How do you know?"

"I just do." He answered, making a show of starting up the engine so as to not cause suspicion.

"That's not going to be enough." She pointed out. "He looks and acts just like him. Are you sure?"

He nodded as the throaty engine sprung to life. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life."

She looked back at Dean who was settling Evy in next to him. The girl was acting normal, Dean was acting normal, everything seemed normal. To her, nothing seemed amiss and Seth knew she didn't see what he saw. Moxley was good and, based on the unsure look on Nikki's face, he had everyone else fooled.

"If he is compromised,which I'm having a hard time believing," she began uncertainly, "you'll have to get him to admit it."

"I intend to do just that once we land safely at headquarters airfield." He said. "I've already warned HQ, provided Punk did what I asked him to do."

* * *

Kevin stood over the lifeless form of CM Punk, proud of the work he had done. Thanks to the tipoff from Moxley before he was sent undercover, they knew they would have one shot at stopping any outgoing messages had the unstable personality been compromised somehow. He had watched them all pile into a stolen truck and immediately he made his move.

The man never saw it coming. Sure, he begged to live, but Kevin wasn't in a merciful mood.

There would be no messages sent to HQ today or any other day.

He made sure of it.

* * *

 **A/N: sorry all. I needed Punk out of the way for future chapters to work. So he had to go. I'll miss the tattooed bastard**.


	20. The Right Decision

**A/n: Well, it's been a while since I updated this. I definitely hit a roadblock there for a while. I hope you all enjoy. Please let me know what you think** **with a review :)**

* * *

Seth should have listened to Cesaro. He was more tired than he thought. His eyes were drooping shut every half hour or so. But, one look back at the bastard Moxley sleeping with his arms aroA/und Evy and he would jump awake only to repeat the process. He would do this for over ten hours. Every once in awhile, someone would stir in the back of the plane, but for the most part he was left alone with his thoughts as the others slept.

By hour 4, Evy stirred. He didn't hear her approach until he heard her yawn behind him. "Uncle Seth?"

"Hey squirt." He answered tiredly. She climbed into his lap and cuddled into him, placing her head on his chest and listening to his heart. He felt as if this were the first time the poor girl had relaxed since this whole fiasco began. He gently rubbed her back, trying to comfort and reassure her, but he could still feel her clinging to his shirt. He pulled her away so he could look her in the eyes. They were glassy and bright with tears threatening, but she was holding it together surprisingly well considering.

"Uncle Seth, I want my daddy back." She sniffed quietly, whispering to him.

"I know." He said back. "We'll get him back."

She sniffed again and wiped her nose on the back of her arm, "I think that man is going to try to hurt you. I don't want him to hurt you."

He took her small face in his hands and made her look at him. "You listen to me." He said. "He might try, but I won't let him hurt me, or you, or uncle Roman, or anyone. Your daddy is still in there somewhere and if I know him at all he will claw and fight to get back to you."

"I know." She sniffed.

Then he hugged her close again, "You're doing so good, Evy. You just need to keep it up for a few more hours."

"But, he knows I know."

That shocked Seth a little, but he tried to keep himself calm. She did not want to be around Moxley any more than she had to. Seth had asked a lot of her, things he shouldn't ask of a six year old, and he felt for her. "Well, why don't you stay up here with me then?" He offered and he felt her nod against him. "You can be my co-pilot."

"What's a co-pilot?"

He smiled and piled her into the second chair in the cockpit, buckling her in as best he could with her small frame. "A co-pilot helps the pilot fly the plane."

Her little eyes lit up,"You're gonna let me fly!?"

"Sure!" He laughed. "Grab that wheel there and hold it steady."

She did as he bid laughing and giggling. "Like this?"

"Yup!" He said. "Now keep it still. I'm going to let go."

He lifted his hands off the pilot's steering and smiled as she squealed with delight. She was doing as he asked, not moving the wheel, but absolutely thrilled that she was flying. In all honesty, he had switched the flight to autopilot a while ago, so there was no real damage she could do. He was just so happy to see her happy.

"Uncle Seth?" She asked suddenly. "Will you teach me how to do this for real one day?"

He thought briefly on how Dean would answer questions like this when she asked him. She always wanted to learn to be like him, and he knew if given the chance, she would be. She was a fighter, just like her father and just like her mother. "Maybe one day." Is how he answered. Yet, there was that hopeful twinge in her eye and he knew then that she would one day end up with HQ. It was inevitable.

She stayed with him through most of the rest of the flight. By hour seven, Dean had woken up and was looking for her. Finding her in the co-pilots seat sleeping next to Seth as he flew twisted something in him and he smiled genuinely only to shake that off quickly. His smile changed to a scowl and he went to the cockpit. "What are you doing?"

Seth tensed when he felt someone approach him and rolled his eyes when he realized who it was. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm flying the plane."

Seth wasn't looking at him. In fact, he was blatantly trying to avoid it. Moxley couldn't care less if Seth talked to him again, however Dean would. However, Seth was far from stupid, as was Moxley. "Seth, you've been acting strange since…"

"I'm not having this conversation with you." Seth interrupted.

Moxley had to suppress the growl of frustration and the anger growing slowly in his chest. Somehow, he managed a sympathetic sigh, he had to start planting the seeds of doubt or he would never be able to complete this asinine mission so he could finally be free. "I know you've been through a lot, man. We all have. I think you need to take a vacation when we get back. You remember that time you, me, and Roman went to Jamaica for that week after that mission in Brazil? Regal gave us leave and all we did was find an island and drink ourselves stupid."

There was a hint of surprise in Seths face and he knew he was on the right track. Hiding the smirk, he continued. "We all had so much fun. What we remember of it, right? So many margaritas."

"We tried to climb that waterfall." Seth added with a touch of a nostalgic smile. "Just wasted out of our minds. They kicked Roman out, remember?"

He knew Seth would try to catch him off guard. However, thanks to his little arrangement with Dean, he knew what really happened. "No, they kicked me out. I guess I shouldn't have pissed from the top of the falls, huh?"

Seth glanced at him quickly as if trying to gauge his sincerity. He wasn't sure if he had succeeded because the Shield Captain kept his face steady.

"We'll be landing soon." Said Seth flatly, obviously trying to get rid of him. "You should buckle in at your seat."

"Seth, seriously…"

It was as if something in him snapped and his head swiveled to look at Moxley with an angry glare that would cause anyone else to shrink back. But Moxley wasn't stupid enough to think Seth would actually do any harm to him. Even when he spoke, Seth's voice was harsh and caustic, lending to his obvious anger towards the man standing there. "Don't play the friend card with me."

Moxley faked a hurt look for dramatic effect, but he knew it would come off sarcastic and dark, "But, Seth, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"And don't you dare play innocent."

"Innocent?" Dean questioned with a laugh. "We want to talk innocence, Tyler Black? How about your innocence?"

"I'm far from innocent." Snapped Seth truthfully. "But at least I'm not a lying bastard like you. Right, Moxley?"

A smirk spread across Moxleys face. "You think I'm Moxley?"

"I don't think. I know." Retorted Seth.

Moxley snorted, "Based on what, exactly?"

Seth hesitated, having promised Evy he wouldn't say she told him. So he diverted the question. "It doesn't matter. I know who you are." Then, "Where's Dean?"

Moxley shook his head. "I am Dean."

"Stop lying to me!"

"I could be lying." shrugged the wayward personality, grin still plastered on his face as if he hadn't a care in the world. "I'd like to see you prove it. It's my word against yours. Who would they believe? That's the real question."

"I'm the current Shield Captain, they'll believe me." Growled Seth. "Besides, you admitted it."

Again Moxley laughed. "I admitted nothing. See, I can play this game for as long as you can. Who do you think will outwit the other?"

Seth was on his feet now, getting into Moxleys face with no fear. Neither man wavered. Seth was glaring angrily while he flexed his hands at his sides, ready to swing at him. Moxley knew this and didn't hide the smug look. The two men stared each other down long enough for someone else in the plane to notice.

Roman Reigns approached the pair carefully. "What's going on?"

It was Moxley who spoke first, quickly shifting his smugness to something more akin to concern and sympathy. "Seth is accusing me of being Moxley."

"It's not an accusation of its true." Added Seth, his eyes still glued on Dean.

Roman drew his brows together and looked between the two men, obviously not sure what to make of the situation at hand. "What?"

"Look at him, Ro." Said Seth. "Really look at him."

"He just up and accused me!" Moxley snapped. "I'm not Moxley! He's was a pretentious asshole. Don't you think if I was, I'd have done something by now? There's been plenty of opportunity."

"You have some sort of agenda!" Seth yelled, pointing a finger in Moxleys chest, growling at the audacity the other man had to look like he had no idea what he was talking about. "And I bet it has something to do with the Chairman and that Kevin asshole!"

To Seth's surprise, Roman pushed him back and held him away from Dean. "You need to calm down." The large Samoan said.

"Calm down!?" Snapped Seth, pushing Roman away. "You don't believe me?"

"Look, we've all had a hard few days." Said Roman carefully, trying to keep his voice level as if soothing a cornered animal. It was the very same voice he had used on Dean not a day ago when he was furiously trying to get past Punk to Evy. "Especially you two. And Seth, you've barely slept in two days."

"Yeah," added Moxley. With Romans attention on Seth, he was able to smirk at the seething Shield Captain. "Maybe your mind is playing tricks on you."

Roman turned to face him and he quickly dropped the grin. "And you." Said the Samoan. "You've been through a hell of a lot. You need to back off too." Then to Seth, he said, "how far are we from HQ airfield?"

"About an hour." He answered. "But who knows if we'll make it with that Lunatic on board!"

"Who are you calling 'lunatic'? At least I'm not imagining things, like some people on this plane!"

That was it. Seth lunged for Moxley, catching him in the midsection faster than he could react and sending both men tumbling out of the cockpit and into the main body of the plane. Cesaro and Nikki were on their feet at the sudden intrusion. It was Seth that gained the upper hand, pinning Moxley to the floor and grabbing a hold of his shirt collar, lifting and dropping his back to the metal grated floor over and over while screaming at him to admit he was Moxley. In all honesty, Moxley let him do it, knowing the outburst would discredit the younger man further. It was already obvious that Roman didn't believe him right away, and this didn't help his case. All Seth was doing was playing right into his hands and making himself look like an overexausted soldier who needed to be restrained.

And that's just what they did. Roman grabbed Seth around the waist and pulled him off of Moxley, who was doing his best to protect his head and face from the attack. Cesaro grabbed his legs and held them still even as he tried to kick. All the while, Seth continued to scream for Moxley to admit he was who he was.

Cesaro and Roman managed to zip tie Seth's hands and feet even as he struggled. "He's going to kill someone!" He yelled as they sat him in one of the chairs and buckled him secure. "Don't you get it! I'm not the one to worry about! He's dangerous!"

"Seth, snap out of it!" Roman shouted, looking set and ready to slap Seth if he had to. "Dean's right, if he were Moxley he'd have done something by now. Cesaro will take over flying the plane. You're staying back here where I can keep an eye on you."

"Roman, please." Seth half begged. "I'm not making this up. Just watch him! Don't let him hurt Evy."

"He's been with Evy this whole time." Said Roman. "They look fine." Then to Cesaro, he said, "You have tranquilizers in the first aide kit?"

"What!? No!" Seth screamed and struggled, only succeeding in tearing at the flesh of his wrists.

Cesaro handed Roman a small syringe and he pulled the cap off with his teeth before spitting it to the floor. He instructed Cesaro to hold Seth steady as he lined it up with the vein in his neck.

"You have to watch him!" Seth cried moments before Roman injected the drug. Immediately he felt the effects. His vision was unfocused and blurry, his body felt almost numb, and he could barely stay awake long enough to get out the word "Please."

"I'm sorry, man." Said Roman as he gently leaned Seth's now unconscious form back into the seat. "It's for your own good."

"He was talking crazy." Moxley said from the floor where he was rubbing the back of his sore head. "I don't know what got into him."

Roman rounded on him quickly, kneeling down and getting right in his face. At least Moxley knew enough to act surprised.

"Is what he said true?" He growled. "Did I just knock him out for nothing?"

"No! No way!" Moxley said. "I swear."

Roman searched his face for a long, almost uncomfortable, moment. Moxley knew he was trying to follow Seth's instructions and really look at the man in front of him. He didn't know what he found there, the large man deceptively hard to read. But he stood and offered his hand to Moxley. Thinking he was in the clear, he took the offered appendage, but was caught off guard when Roman wrapped an arm around his neck and held him still, calling for Cesaro to bring another syringe. The bald man injected the same tranquilizer into Moxley and he went limp in Romans grasp. Both Shield agents lifted him into a seat and buckled him in as well, making sure to secure him like that had Seth.

"Why'd you do that?" Cesaro asked. "Is he Moxley."

"I have no idea." Answered Roman honestly, wiping a hand down his face in exhaustion. "But if Seth is even a fraction of the way correct, were better off having him easy to control."

Nikki had a hold of the now crying Evy in the cockpit. They could see the entire interaction and Roman instantly felt guilty for knocking out her father and Seth, whom she was always close with. But he did what he had to do…

...didn't he?


	21. The ramblings of a madman

He felt as if the cell in his own head had begun to get smaller with every hour that passed. In all honesty, he had no idea how long he's even been in here. A day? A week? There was no way to track it. He wondered idly how Moxley knew he was trapped for six years. The boredom and claustrophobia was already taking hold and he knew it could not have been that long he was stuck.

Lying on the cot, he could see scratch marks up the wall next to him. Some were intentional, words and phrases scrawled in the concrete with something sharp. They started out obvious:

 _Stephanie_

 _I need Stephanie_

Then they began to break down into the ramblings of a personality going slowly insane:

 _How long have I been here?_

 _Hell hath no fury like me_

 _I'm in hell_

 _I'm getting a little sick of the taste of my own blood_

 _Revenge will be mine_

 _Help me_

 _I cannot die! I am God!_

Then, at the very bottom, close to where his head lay on the pillow, was one word. A name…

 _Abby_

He reached out and ran his fingers across her name, gently touching the wall as if it would disappear if he pressed any harder.

Yet, there were other marks all over the room. He stood and inspected one on the opposite wall. Scratch marks, obviously put there intentionally by Moxley. He recognized the pattern and lifted his hand to drag his fingers down the gashes. They fit perfectly.

"Fingernails." He whispered to himself. A quick glance around the room showed many others of similar make all around the room. "Jesus…"

"Yeah, well, you'll understand soon. I'm sure of it"

He swiveled around and saw Moxley standing there looking somberly at the scrawl marks. He hadn't heard him approach like he had so many times before.

Moxleys eyes slid to him, but the expression remained the same. "I realize I was created, but I didn't ask to be. Then I get shoved into your subconscious and left to stew in my own frustration. It gets to you. And it will get to you."

Dean looked away, suddenly feeling for Moxley. He was right, he didn't ask to be created. He didn't ask to be freed. He was made through systematic torture and brainwashing in order to appease the whim of a psycho bitch with an agenda against Dean Ambrose.

Yet, despite understanding his existence, any sympathy he felt was quickly replaced with all the anger he felt toward him. He had hijacked his life. He had his daughter to think about.

"At any rate," Moxley sighed and that ever present smugness quickly replaced the despondent expression. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while."

"Oh joy." He Deadpanned sarcastically. "To what do I owe that pleasure?"

"Your buddy, Roman, drugged me."

Dean cocked an eyebrow, "Drugged you?"

"It's a long story."

"We have time."

* * *

Roman sat across from the unconscious forms of his two best friends, buckled next to each other in the planes bucket seats, their hands and feet secured. He did what he had to do, he knew that, but that didn't change the fact that he had them both trussed up like criminals. What was he supposed to do now? They were already on approach to HQ airfield and he had tried to figure out just what to say when he showed up with two men trussed up.

A glance over his shoulder at Evy and Nikki and a thought formed in his head. Gently he approached Evy, knowing they did not have the same relationship she had with Seth, and sat in front of the crying girl. "Hi Evy." He said softly.

"Hi." She sniffed and ran a hand under her nose.

"Listen, I know you're upset right now, but do you think you can help me out with something?"

She looked up at Nikki and back to Roman before nodding tentatively.

He offered her what he hoped was a soothing smile. He took her hand and looked her directly in the eye. "What happened to Daddy and Uncle Seth?"

Her body tensed, she was visibly scared to tell him. He gently rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand in an attempt to soothe the scared six year old. But she shook her head at him, blond curls swaying with her movement.

He had to take a calming breath as frustration began building in his chest. He had to remember he wasn't dealing with some authority scumbag, this was Dean's daughter and she was frightened. "Ok, let's play a game."

Though skeptical, her eyes seemed to light up a bit before she nodded. He smiled appeasingly, "Good! Now, I'm going to point to people and you tell me who they are. I'll give you a piece of candy for each one you do, ok?"

Her nod was more emphatic at the prospect of candy.

He started simple and pointed to himself. She laughed and answered, "Uncle Ro!"

He laughed right along with her. "Good! Next one."

He pointed to the person next to her.

"That's Nikki. She's really nice!"

"Way to go!" He said. "That's two pieces of candy so far! You're going to clean me out!"

She giggled and clapped her hands. "Keep going Uncle Ro!"

This time he pointed to the cockpit.

"That's Cesaro!" She answered. "He talks funny but I like him."

"I do not talk funny!" They heard the Swiss man say.

Roman had to bring her attention back to him after she laughed loudly at the pilot. "Ok, Evy! Almost done."

Now he pointed at the Architect, unconscious in the seat. Her smile fell as she figured out where this was going. Smart girl. "Uncle Seth. That's Uncle Seth."

"Very good." He said and apprehensively pointed to Dean. "Last one."

She seemed to curl into herself and refused to answer.

Again he took her small hand in his. "Ok, then just shake your head yes or no, alright?"

She hesitated but accepted.

"Is that your daddy?"

There was a long pause and for a moment he expected her to say yes. He hoped for it. When her head shook side to side, he knew.

That was very likely not Dean Ambrose. He looked up at Nikki's concerned face as she gently rubbed her back. She knew what he was thinking, just like she always seemed to. That's why they got along so well. It was hard for the strong, silent type to find someone who just...understood. But she knew what he was going to do, even though he hated that he had to. And though he was torn up inside, he grinned at Evy and patted her hand lightly, reassuringly. "You did great, Evy. I'm going to buy you the biggest chocolate bar I can find."

"I'm sorry." She sniffed, fresh tears filling her eyes. "Uncle Seth said to act normal until he could figure things out."

He pulled her into a hug and the little girl clung to his shirt much like he had seen her do with Dean and Seth. "Don't apologize." He said, stroking her hair lightly. "You did the right thing."

"What's gonna happen now?"

"I don't know, Evy."

"Roman." Cesaro called from the cockpit. "I'm dropping the landing gear in ten minutes. Do you want to get on with Regal?"

"Yeah." The large Samoan answered and gently scooted Evy back to Nikki before heading to join the Swiss pilot. "Patch me through to him."

Cesaro flipped a few switches and turned a few dials before handing the radio to Roman. "This is Big Dog."

" _Big Dog, what the bloody hell happened!?_ " Regals accented voice seemed thicker the angrier he got.

"We are compromised HQ." He answered. "I need medical transport for two unconscious agents, one will need restraints."

" _Fucking hell._ " The British man sighed. " _Who?_ "

"Lunatic Fringe."

" _Are you sure?_ "

"No, not really." He answered honestly. "Little One is confident, so is Architect."

There was a heavy sigh again and he could almost hear their boss rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. " _Transport will be waiting. Land safe and we will talk when you arrive at HQ._ "

"Copy that."


	22. Predictable

The plane touched down at HQ airfield and, sure enough, Regal was waiting there with the medical transport that was requested. Roman and Cesaro lifted both men and carried them from the aircraft one at a time. The medical staff quickly looked them over and frowned at their state. They were in good hands now, and Roman would make sure to visit each once he debriefed with William Regal.

The British man held out his hand for Roman, who shook it respectfully. "Sir."

"Good to have you back." He said before repeating the process with Cesaro and Nikki. "I assume the hostiles are dead?"

All three agents looked at each other, knowing that only one was Rusev, eliminated by Cesaro. The Chairman and Kevin Owens escaped. Their CO seemed to sense this and shook his head in disappointment. "I would think you'd three know better."

"With all due respect sir, we weren't sent in to eliminate any hostiles." Nikki said and Roman didn't even try to hold in the grin.

Regal narrowed his eyes, not responding to the obvious rebellious streak in his shield agent. "You three. debriefing room. now."

* * *

Seth was so tired, he could have stayed like this, wherever this was, for days. The mattress was soft and warm, the soft sounds of someone murmuring sweetly to him reached into his mind like an embrace, and gentle stroking of his hair felt so good.

"C'mon Seth, open your eyes." She said in her accented voice and he found himself smiling.

"Paige?" He croaked, his own voice dry and scratchy.

"Yeah, it's me sweetheart."

He managed to open his eyes and he was staring into beautiful dark orbs looking at him with such love. "Hi baby." He squeaked.

"Hi."

"What happened?"

"I don't really know." She answered with a shrug. "Roman has been in debriefing for a few hours now. But wait 'till I get my hands on him…"

He suddenly remembered everything and sat bolt upright, startling Paige. The ship, the warehouse, punks, the school, Dean...Moxley. The motion and the flood of memory was enough to make him dizzy. He would have puked if Paige hadn't pushed him back down onto the bed.

"You need to relax!" She snapped at him in that way that meant she wasn't fucking around.

He grinned at her for a moment, despite everything, he was so happy to see her. He was almost murdered in Russia and his last thoughts were of her. He had to touch her and gently ran a hand down her face. "I love you."

Her face softened and she smiled back before leaning in to kiss him softly. His hand on the back of her neck pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. She broke it and climbed into the hospital bed next to him and curled into his side as he held her. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her hair, a smell so familiar and beautiful. "Seth?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm scared."

He gently began rubbing her back. "Scared? Of what?"

"You keep going on these missions." She began quietly. "What do I do if one day you don't come back? I thought the worst when they wheeled you into the infirmary. You were so still, so quiet. I can't...I need you."

In all honesty, he had thought the same thing several times over. The events in Russia only heightened the feeling that he was, in fact, mortal. He could die. He almost has died on several occasions. He had more than himself to worry about now, his hand snaking to her swollen stomach. He was going to be a father. He had to be there. But he was not suited for anything else, this is what he was good at and had provided a good home for his wife. He was torn to say the least. "I'm not going anywhere."

She shifted so she could look up at him. "I think about what Abby went through when Dean disappeared. I can't do that. You're just a man, Seth."

He grinned devilishly, wagging his eyebrows in hopes of making her laugh. "Yeah, but I'm your man."

She was not amused, "I'm serious, Seth! Every time you leave on a stupid mission I think 'what if this is the one he doesn't come back from'."

He pulled her closer and gently stroked her hair, trying to comfort himself as much as comfort her. "I can promise you one thing. I will always come back to you."

"You better." She said and laid her head on his chest. "Or I'll fucking kill you."

He laughed, loudly, and pulled her closer. "God I love you."

They laid like that for a long time; long enough for him to lose track of time and even drift off. It was dark when he came to again, Paige still lying in the crook of his arm gently running her hand up and down his shirt. He smiled, but sensed another presence. Looking up quickly, his eyes fell on William Regal staring down at him. He cleared his throat in an effort to drive the sleep from his voice, "Sir?"

He made a don't-get-up motion with his hands and Seth relaxed a bit back into the bed. "I wanted to talk to you about Russia. I got what I could from Roman, but you were with Ambrose almost the entire time. Should I be worried, Seth?"

Seth thought a moment before answering. "Sir, I don't know. He...isn't Dean."

"So I've been told." He sighed. "But Roman is unsure and I can't hold the word of a six year old as reliable."

"She has Abby's gift." Said Seth. "Maybe you should."

"What makes you so sure he's Moxley again?" Regal asked stone face. Seth knew his answer could make or break Regals plan on handling the Dean situation.

"Have you talked to him?" He asked.

"Not yet."

"When you do, watch him." Seth said. "You'll know what I mean."

Regal nodded and turned to leave the room. He paused at the door and looked back at his agent. "You have five minutes. Meet me in infirmary room G. We're going to talk to him."

* * *

He pulled on the restraints around his wrists, testing their hold for what felt like the thousandth time. He had woken up strapped to a hospital bed, but he was in Headquarters. Just where he wanted to be.

The sound of the door unlocking drew his attention and he almost feigned unconsciousness while he thought of a plan to get out of these bonds. Then, there he was, his target, flanked by Seth and Roman. He had to hold in the growl of annoyance.

"Sir." Is what he said instead. "I don't understand what's going on."

"I think you do." Said regal, no emotion in his voice. Moxley wondered if he did that on purpose or if he was really just that devoid of feeling.

But Moxley laughed, hoping the nonchalant attitude conveyed enough Dean to convince them to release his arms. He nodded toward Seth, "You mean because he thinks I'm Moxley again?"

"Are you?"

"No!" He snapped quickly. "I'm not! I don't know what I can do to convince you three that it's me, Dean!"

"You've already convinced me." Regal said and Moxley held in the smirk as Seth and Roman both looked at their CO in shock.

"Sir!" Roman snapped!

Regal held up a hand, "I'm not finished. You've convinced me that you...are not dean."

"What!?" Moxley yelled, tugging at the restraints again.

Regal leaned in close to Moxley who was now snarling at the man. "I know you're not Dean because you never asked about your daughter."

"You just walked in the room!" Moxley growled. "You didn't give me the chance!"

Regal smirked, "The first words out of Dean's mouth would have been 'where's Evy?' You'd should have known that if you thought you could continue fooling us."

That's when a grin spread across Moxleys face and he laughed. He laughed loudly and obnoxiously. Was there any point in pretense now? They knew. "You know, I really tried. I had you all fooled for a while there."

"I fucking knew it!" Seth snarled and was at Moxleys side, his shirt twisted in his hands damn near lifting him off the bed. "You son of a bitch! Where's Dean?"

"Oh, he's in here."

Seth slapped Moxley, hard, his head snapping to the side but the grin still plastered on his face. "Bring him back!"

"No fucking way!" Moxley snapped, licking at the small trickle of blood pooling at the corner of his mouth. "I waited six years for this! I will wreak so much havoc and mayhem you won't know what to do!"

"We could just kill you." Roman growled from behind Regal.

Again Moxley laughed. "Don't lie to yourself and think you could off me, Reigns. Not when Dean is still in here."

"Seth. Roman." Regal snapped suddenly and all eyes turned to him. "Back off or leave."

Moxley looked up at Seth, still gripping his shirt, and smirked. "You heard your master, back off."

Seth growled one more time and seriously considered punching him in his mouth far harder than the previous slap. But, he let him go with a shove and stepped back.

"What are you here for, Moxley?" Regal asked and the personality looked directly at him, still sneering.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Who's pulling your strings?"

"No one pulls my strings."

"Bullshit!" Snapped Seth.

Regal quoted him with one look before continuing. "I asked you a question, Moxley."

"And I gave my answer."

"Fine." Said the British man, standing to his full height again and regarded his two agents without taking his eyes off the man in Dean's skin. "Is Moxleys old holding cell still vacant?"

"Wait." Moxley said, eyes wide now and the grin gone. "I might say more."

"No, I think you've said enough." Regal chuckled. "What's the matter? It should be a familiar place for you."

Moxley pulled at the restraints again, "You can't put me back in that cell!"

"Why not? You aren't cooperating anyway."

"We can't handle it." Moxley said.

"We?"

"I...I can't go back to that cell!"

"Then, who's your puppet master?"

"You already know the answer to that question."

Regal grinned. "The Chairman. But who is the Chairman?"

Moxley remained silent and regal turned to Roman. "When you put him in the cell, make sure you take his pillow."

"No!"

"Then tell me who the Chairman is or the mattress goes next."

Moxley snarled but gave in. "Vince McMahon. The Chairman is Vince McMahon."

"Thank you, Moxley." Said Regal and motioned for Seth and Roman to follow him from the room.

"You aren't sending me back to that cell are you?" Moxley called after them. But no one answered him as they closed the door and the lock slipped into place. "Fuck!"

Once he was sure they couldn't hear him anymore, he grinned knowingly and produced the small pocket knife he had lifted off Seth while he had him by the shirt. "You predictable motherfuckers."


	23. Defeated

"How did you know he'd panic about the holding cell?" Seth asked Regal quietly once they had begun walking back to the CO's office.

Regal grinned and looked at Seth quickly before answering, "I've sent Ambrose to solitary enough times for insubordination to know he hates it. Granted, he never did learn his lesson."

"What's our next step, sir?" Roman asked.

"Put him in the cell." Regal answered with a shrug. "What else can we do?"

Seth sighed, "How are we getting Dean back?"

Regal stopped and regarded Seth with a tight set to his lips that the younger man knew meant he was about to say something he wouldn't like. "Captain Rollins, I know Dean is your friend, but you have to come to grips with the fact he may never come back. We have no idea what Abby did last time."

"So what are you proposing?" Roman asked.

The CO looked between his two top operatives and sighed, "I don't know just yet."

Nikki and Evy were already in Regals office when Seth and Roman entered behind him. The little girl immediately ran into the Architects arms and hugged him tightly as he lifted her up. She was sniffling in his ear and he felt his heart break for whatever was about to happen. As her godparents, he and Paige had promised to take care of her if anything should happen to Dean. He never expected it would happen, but he would have to eventually prepare her, and himself, for this possibility.

Regal sat behind his large desk and opened his mouth to speak when a sudden explosion cut him off.

All agents looked at each other, confused. "That came from the lobby." Said Seth.

"Are we under attack?" Roman asked in a slight panic seconds before another explosion shook the building, this one strong enough to knock anyone standing onto the ground. Seth covered Evy with his body as a third explosion rang through and ceiling tiles began falling on top of them. The lights had gone out, the generator probably hit in the blast.

"What the fuck!" Roman coughed through the dust. "Is everyone alright?"

Seth looked Evy over, she was crying harder now and clinging to him tightly, but she seemed alright. "Evy and I are okay!"

"Me too." Nikki called out. Roman ran to her side and looked her over before kissing her lightly on the forehead. She pushed him back slightly for fretting. "Roman, I'm fine."

They heard Regal cough from under his desk. "What the bloody hell just happened!?"

Seth was on his feet in an instant, his all consuming thought now Paige. He pulled Evy with him, unwilling to leave the child alone again. Roman followed him from the office and both looked at each other in shock. There was a hole in the side of the building large enough to fit a truck through, half the offices decimated. The blast must have missed Regals office by ten feet at the most.

"Oh my god." Roman breathed at the devastation.

Seth's mind was racing. He tried to remember where Paige's office was in relation to them, where she could have been. He didn't even know to what extent the building had been destroyed. They were completely in the dark here. That's when the panic began to set in…

"Jesus, I have to find Paige!" He was hyperventilating before he could register that he had fallen to his knees. Evy was still clinging to him, but he was holding onto her so tightly he was sure he was hurting her. It wasn't until a pair of strong hands gripped his shoulders did he even look up.

"Seth, calm down!" Commanded Roman in his strong, authoritative voice. "Don't make me slap you!"

He nodded and collected his thoughts. "Ok...ok...we gotta get out."

"That might be easier said than done." Nikki added, peering over the side of the gaping hole in the building. "There is an army of men down there rushing in."

William Regal and Roman were at her side quickly. Sure enough, several hundred men were running in through the hole in the lobby, more were firing at any HQ agents uninjured enough to fight back, and one large tank with Kevin Owens sitting on top directing the driver to readjust the barrel towards them. He smiled wickedly, knowingly. This was a set-up.

It took a few seconds for Roman to realize what was going to happen, but when he did…"Jesus! Run!"

Seth didn't even hesitate. He grabbed Evy and started hauling ass further into the building. The shell hit with enough force to send them tumbling onto the ground. He rolled until his back connected with a wall and knocked the air from his lungs. At least he had enough wherewithal to know to cover his head as dirt and wreckage rained down on him from all sides.

There was a loud ringing in his ears when he managed to pull himself into his hands and knees, coughing as dust and smoke filled his lungs. Evy had fallen out of his arms in the shockwave, and he panicked before catching a glimpse of nikki trying to comfort the poor girl while assessing her for damage. He looked behind him and saw nothing in the hallway but a pile of rubble, cutting off their exit in that direction.

"Seth!" He heard yelled, but it was muffled and distant and definitely Roman Reigns. "Seth, are you guys there!? Someone answer me!"

A look around and he didn't see the large Samoan anywhere. "Roman?"

"Seth!?" He heard again, but still didn't see him.

"Where are you?"

"Beams came down, I'm on the other side of the rubble with Regal!"

Seth was on his feet and at the debris, immediately beginning to try and pull it free. He managed to get as far as creating a hole only big enough to see Roman's face through before the shift in weight began to threaten the structural integrity of the ceiling. "Fuck!"

"Listen," Roman began through their small window. "Is Nikki alight? Evy?"

A glance over his shoulder and he took quick stock of them. Nikki had a large cut on her forehead and was favoring her left arm but seemed otherwise alright. Evy had several scratches on her face and legs but was thankfully also in one piece, though she was crying hysterically and calling for her father. Shit, Dean!

"Get to a walkie talkie, were going to have to find separate ways out of here." Continued Roman. "Channel three. Regal and I can get to a stairwell. We're going to try that way."

"There's walkies at the nurses station." Said Seth. "We'll try that stairwell. I don't have my weapon."

"Neither do I." Roman replied. "We've made due with less."

They were going to have to do this. There were enemy men flooding into the building, most of HQ looked like a war zone, and his wife was somewhere he couldn't get to. This was a dire situation completely out of his control and he had to swallow down the fear that this would probably end badly. "Hey, if you find Paige…"

"You'll be the first to know."

He nodded at his friend, "Good luck, Ro."

"Same to you." Said the Samoan with a grin. "See yah on the other side, Brother."

Seth smiled as much as the situation would allow and watched until Roman disappeared from sight before heading back to Nikki and Evy. He looked her over closer and winced at the cut on her arm that would probably need stitches. She was handling it surprisingly well, not really panicking because of the explosions but because her father wasn't there with her. He tried to comfort her as best he could, taking her small face in his dirty hands and making her look at him. "Evy, take a big breath for me okay?" She did and he smiled as comfortingly as he could muster. "Good girl."

"Uncle Seth!" She hiccupped through tear filled blue eyes. "You're bleeding."

He hadn't realized it until he reached up and pulled his fingers away red, but there was a cut in his hairline somewhere leaving streaks of crimson down his face. He would be fine, it was a minor wound, but it scared the child looking at him in concern. "I'm ok, it's just a cut."

"Seth, what do we do now?" Nikki asked. He relayed the plan to her and she nodded before he helped her to her feet and lifted Evy into his arms.

"The infirmary wing is two floors down." He said. "Hopefully the coast is clear."

* * *

The entire cell shook. It did so hard enough for Dean to stumble back and have to brace himself against the wall. He looked at Moxley in jarring shock. "What the hell was that?"

"Showtime." Moxley replied with a sneer. "Well, Dean, it's been real."

Dean was at the bars of the cell quickly, realizing that something terrible had just happened. "Wait! What's going on?"

Moxley hesitated leaving just yet, preferring to grin wickedly at the captive in his head. "I already told you the plan. It's a close out sale at HQ! Everyone must go! And I mean everyone."

"You promised you wouldn't hurt my daughter!" Dean growled. "You promised!"

"I lied." Moxley laughed. "C'mon Dean, did you really believe all that crap? You should know me better than that. I can't leave any loose ends."

Dean took a few horrified steps back, realizing now that he was utterly and completely fucked. There was no way out, no way to save his daughter, no way to stop the mental case Jon Moxley. His hands were in his hair, tugging at the locks in frustration and rage. He was absolutely helpless to protect his daughter, his friends, his family. He couldn't even bare to think of Evy's face when someone she cared about, someone she relied on to protect her…

No, no, this wasn't going to happen!

"Whelp, time to raise some hell." Moxley laughed and moved to leave.

That's when the panic set in and he found himself on his knees begging. "Look, do whatever you want to me. Just...not Evy. Please."

Moxley snorted. "Stand up Dean, groveling isn't your style."

He didn't move, "Moxley, if you have a heart at all…"

"Stop it!" He snapped.

"I'm begging you as a father, don't hurt my daughter. She's only six."

Moxley stared down at him in disdain and Dean got the distinct impression that he had done nothing but piss him off. When his alter ego stormed off and out of sight, Dean just stared at the spot Moxley had vacated, eyes wet with tears he had no intention of stopping. He was about to lose everything he ever loved, everything he ever cared for. He was broken, beaten.

That's when he remembered the pocket knife and the cut finger. He pulled the knife from his pocket and stared at it for a long moment, probably longer than he should have. Retracting the blade, he looked at the gleaming steel and drew in a defeated breath.

He thought then about his daughter and smiled absently at the memory. It was funny the things remembered when everything was lost. She hated apples. She loved the smell of cooking bacon. She loved a tea party, making him sit at her little table and drink imaginary tea while she told him the stories she made up in her head. Her favorite color was yellow. She loved to wrap her hands in his shirt and hold onto him while they watched tv. She adored Seth's dog Kevin and he was even beginning to consider getting her one of her own. She loved scary movies and was always surprised when she couldn't sleep that night. She was so much like him - stubborn, hard headed, quick to fight, loud mouthed, and not afraid to speak her mind - and yet she reminded him of his Abby more and more each day. She loved him, her father, dearly.

And he loved her more than life itself, just like her mother. That's what made this so hard. Because he loved her, he was going to leave her alone. He prayed to whatever God was listening that he would live long enough to say goodbye as he positioned the knife at his gut.

"Please let this work." He breathed and closed his eyes.

* * *

 **A/N: oh man, that was a tough one to write. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, they really make my day! I'm looking at maybe 2 more chapters here and I'm finishing this series. So keep those reviews coming, I love hearing what everyone thinks!**


	24. Defiance

He could hear the sound of voices coming up the stairwell when they finally reached it. Evy clung to him tightly as he carried her down. It had the eerie red glow of the emergency lights giving it a feeling of dread, as if they were descending into hell. Nikki trailed behind him, cooing soft words of comfort to the small girl in Seths arms. He knew they had to hurry, the voices uncomfortably close. They could only be a floor or two below them.

He reached the infirmary wing and slipped in quickly, followed by Nikki, before she closed and locked the door. This hallway hadn't fared much better in the blast as rubble and dirt covered almost every surface. The worst part was the bodies lying in the as if they had tried to get out but just weren't fast enough. He held Evy closer and bid she shut her eyes.

He and Nikki stepped carefully over those unlucky enough to fall victim, not wanting to disturb them because they were people they had known, talked with, laughed with. A new anger bubbled up inside him.

They reached the nurses station and Seth put Evy down. Though she stayed close, she allowed him to rummage through until he found the walkie-talkie stashed in the drawer. He was also pleasantly surprised to find a loaded handgun, which he stashed in the waistband of his pants.

Clicking the radio over to channel three, he spoke into the receiver. "Big Dog, you there?"

Static.

"Big Dog, come in."

More static. Seth gave Nikki a worried look as he could see the pained expression on her face growing the longer they hadn't heard from Roman.

"He's ok, right Seth?" She asked him, voice shaking.

"I'm sure he's fine." He answered, wondering if it was more to comfort himself that it was to comfort her. He tried again, "Goddammit Big Dog! Come in!"

"Big Dog here." Romans deep voice crackled through the speaker and both he and Nikki breathed a sigh of relief. "Good to hear your voice, Architect."

"We're hunkered down in the infirmary, lots dead." He said.

Roman replied after a short moment, "Lots dead here too. We've found Swiss Superman and we're headed to the tunnels under HQ. We're setting charges. You need to get out of the building."

Seth's eyes widened. "You're gonna blow up HQ?"

"Affirmative." Roman answered. "We're taking out as many as we can. We believe Owens is inside and headed your way."

"What about my wife?"

Static and Seth damn near screamed. "Roman! What about Paige?"

His heart jumped when her British accented voice came through the speaker. "Seth? Are you okay?"

"Oh thank god!" He breathed. "Yes, I'm ok. Are you?"

"Roman thinks my ankle is broken, but I'm fine." She answered. "You come back to me, okay?"

"Always." He said and didn't try to hold the ghost of a smile.

"Seth," Roman crackled through again. "We're setting charges as we speak. Do you have a way out?"

"The stairwells are blocked." Seth said with a sigh.

"We could go up." Nikki offered.

He thought about it for half a second. "Is that Blackhawk still on the roof?"

"Yes."

"That's where I'm headed."

He could almost hear Roman nodding. "Good luck, Architect."

He clipped the radio to his belt and went to pick Evy up only to pause. Something wasn't right. He could feel eyes on him and he swiveled around quickly. There was Moxley, sneering at him and resting the point of his own pocket knife on the desk, spinning it slowly. "Hey, buddy. Where's your boss?"

Seth immediately pushed Evy and Nikki behind him, which caused Moxley to laugh. "That's adorable. I'll take my daughter if you don't mind."

"No fucking way." Snarled Seth. "She's Dean's daughter, not yours."

"Well, if we're getting technical, she's still my blood." Moxley said and took a step toward them. "She's also one hell of a bargaining chip."

"You're a bad man!" Evy said from behind Seth's leg. "Bring my daddy back!"

Moxley bent down so he could look into her eyes more directly, curiously observing her like one might look at a puppy. "Your 'daddy' is gone."

"No he isn't." She said with a small smile of her own. "I can see him."

He rolled his eyes, "This again?"

"Listen, Moxley," began Seth warily. "There's a Blackhawk on the roof. Come with us."

Moxleys eyes flicked up to Seth's. "You aren't going anywhere."

That's when he lunged, catching Seth in the midsection and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Moxley got the upper hand quickly, a forearm shoved into Seth's throat as the other with the knife reached up to plunge it into his chest. Seth got a hand up in time to stop him, but the downforce of Dean's body weight was overpowering him quickly. He was going to have to let go. As he did, he shifted his head to the side so the knife imbedded into the floor instead of his face, catching Moxley off guard. Seth got a leg around him and shifted the position so he had the upper hand. But Moxley managed to get a punch to his jaw, breaking the hold.

Again he was on him, and this time Seth wouldn't be able to stop him. Bracing for the inevitable, he clamped his eyes shut.

Nothing happened.

Opening them, Moxley was still as a statue but there was a horrified expression on his face. His arm was still raised to strike, but he dropped the knife as blood began spilling from his mouth. He looked down at his stomach, at the blossoming red stain on his shirt. Seth hadn't done that and Nikki still had Evy.

Then he laughed, "Dean you son of a bitch!"

He fell off Seth and gripped at the wound at his side. "I'm not leaving!"

His face changed as Seth approached him, slowly. "Moxley?"

"Seth?" The voice was different, softer, broken. "I did it."

"Jesus! Dean!?" Seth helped him sit up.

Dean cried out as his body shifted and he held the wound tight. "I could hurt him from inside my head. I had a knife and...and…"

"Don't talk." Seth said, putting pressure on the wound, causing the older man to hiss in pain.

"He was going to kill her."

"Dean, shush." Seth whispered. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we have to get out of here."

"Daddy!" Evy yelled and launched herself at Dean. He forgot about the wound for a moment and caught her in his arms, kissing everywhere he could. He was crying now and he didn't even care. "I missed you."

"I missed you too baby." He sobbed. "I love you so much!"

He hugged her close for a long time, taking in everything about her.

"Guys…" Nikki said anxiously. The sounds of men and gunfire was getting closer. If they lingered any longer, they'd have a huge problem on their hands. "We should really go."

Dean let go of Evy, but she stayed close. Seth wrapped one of Dean's arms around his shoulder and gave him a quick one, two, three before lifting him to his feet. The Lunatic Fringe cried out at the movement and gritted his teeth. He needed to take a few steadying breaths before they could even begin to move.

He heard Roman come through the radio on his belt just as the wayward group made their way to the first stairwell. "Seth, you have ten minutes before we blow it."

He swiped the radio off his belt, "Understood. We've got Dean."

"Dean?" The Samoan sounded hopeful.

"Moxley is gone, I can explain later." Seth responded. "We're going to need medical. He's hurt, badly."

"Will do, Seth." Said Roman. "You have ten minutes."

"Copy that."

* * *

Please stop." He sputtered and gasped through gritted teeth while he clutched at his wounded side. Blood spilled over his fingers and stained his shirt and jeans with every labored step he took. "I can't...anymore."

Seth strengthened the hold on his friend, pulling him forward through sheer force of will even as his friend, his brother, fought to stay upright. He wasn't leaving him here, despite the protests from the Lunatic Fringe, despite his pleas to stop, despite everything. They had been through too much together in the years they had known each other to let it end like this, even if he was nothing more but dead weight, dragging his legs as pain and blood loss began to take their toll. Seth couldn't do it.

"Fuck...Seth!" He finally cried out and his knees gave out from under him, sending both men to the floor.

Seth released his hold on Dean's arm and laid the man against the closest wall. "Let me see it." He said, already fiddling with the fabric of Dean's shirt. Nikki and Evy had stopped as well, backtracking towards the two men. Seth held out a hand to stop them, not wanting either to see the wound as Dean gingerly lifted his shirt. He winced and gritted his teeth while trying desperately to hold in the grunts of pain as even exposing it to air was like shoving glass shards through the wound. He knew it was bad by the look on Seth's face, the way he drew in a surprised breath, the way he looked Dean in the eye. He didn't have to say anything. Dean was as good as dead and Seth knew, just by the look of defeated anguish, that he wasn't going any further.

"I think it ruptured your stomach." Said Seth quietly, urgently.

"Figures." Dean chuckled and sputtered a cough and moan as fresh pain erupted through his body. "Take Evy, get out of here."

"No fucking way! You're coming with me!"

Dean shook his head, eyes glazed over with pain and sadness. "I'm not going any further. I'm done. You know it and I know it."

Seth drew in a breath and tried to hold back the heartbroken words he wanted so desperately to say to Dean. He wanted to tell him he was his brother, he wanted to tell him he loved him, he wanted so desperately to tell him to stop fucking around and fight through. Stomach wounds were a painful and drawn out death, one Seth wouldn't wish on his worst enemy, let alone his brother. But he didn't, he couldn't. Dean was right. He wasn't going any further.

"I'll hold them back until Roman can blow the building." He said a split second before he grabbed Seth by his shirt and pulled him close, "Protect her." He whispered through bloodstained teeth. "Do you understand me?"

Seth sniffed back tears and agreed. "With my life, Dean." It was the last bit of kindness he could give him, one last assurance that he would protect his baby. His Evy. Only then did Dean release his hold on him.

He nodded his gratitude to his partner, the man who had been with him through the good times and the bad. He was someone who Dean would have killed for, or killed depending on his mood. He was family. He would always be family. Now he had to trust him. Trust him to take care of his most predacious possession. He smiled sadly then, thinking of the things he would miss; teaching to ride a bike, teaching her to drive, walking her down the aisle, watching her fall in love and have kids of her own, watching her succeed like he knew she would. He was so proud of his baby and these were things Seth would get to see, Seth would get to experience, and he found himself jealous of the man looking at him with mournful, sad eyes. "Just promise me one thing." Dean said with a cough and a gasp as blood began filling the back of his throat.

"Anything." Seth replied, again sniffing back his emotions, trying desperately to hold it together.

Dean smiled that very Dean smile. The mischievous, sly grin that he had always had. The one that had broken so many hearts and captured one in particular. "Don't let her date someone like me, okay? It brings nothing but heartache."

Seth laughed and wiped away a tear. "I would never let her end up with an asshole like you. That wouldn't be doing her any favors."

It was Dean's turn to laugh and he squeezed Seth on the shoulder just as Evy broke away from Nikki and ran toward him. "Daddy!"

He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her tight, holding onto that last bit of happiness he had, the last piece of his Abby. She was crying, gripping onto him so tightly that he felt the hot sting of tears roll down his own face. But he had to push her away, had to let her go despite his desperate desire to keep her close. She needed to live and he pushed her back slightly so he could look at her. He ran his hand down her face and wiped away her tears with his thumb. Would she remember him when he was gone?

"Listen, baby." He said with a shaky voice, trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. "Daddy has to stay here. I'm not coming with you and I want you to know that i'm sorry. Whatever happens, I'm so sorry."

She shook her little head and her eyes, the ones so much like his own, pleaded, begged to stay with him. It broke him inside to see her looking at him with such grief, such heartache - that he couldn't take that all away for her. She would be okay, he knew Seth would make sure of it. She would survive. He let the tears stain his face as kissed her gently on her forehead and pulled her into him again, "You'll be alright, baby. My Evy."

"But you won't be." She sobbed against his shoulder and he couldn't hold back the tears anymore as he clung to her. He clung to her so tightly.

The sound of footsteps reached their ears and Dean felt his stomach drop. This was it, now or never. If they were going to get out, they had to go now, so he pushed her away with a final kiss to her little cheek, "I love you, remember that."

Then he pushed her toward Seth who took her in his arms and lifted her with ease, even as she fought against him to get back to her father. Seth gave Dean one final goodbye, one final heartbreaking farewell, before turning away and running toward the stairwell to the roof.

Dean watched her little hands reach for him with every step Seth took away from him. He would buy them time, as much time as he could before his body finally gave out. With only a handgun and the need to protect, he readied himself, though his vision began to fade and his head began to drop.

The first man entered the hallway and Dean immediately put a bullet in his chest. Then the second with the same result. Three and four, five and six, all fell as he protected the hallway, protected their escape, protected his family. But seven and eight made it through, then nine and ten. So many, so little bullets. The hammer clicked when the last shot was fired and he knew this was it.

"I should have known you'd fail, Moxley." Said Kevin as he slipped through the door.

"Who said I failed?"

Kevin shook his head and raised his gun, "Gotta put the street dog out of his misery."

He was laughing when Owens pointed the gun between his eyes. A last bit of defiance, to laugh in the face of death. "Fuck you, Owens."

He fired.

* * *

Seth managed to get everyone into the last helicopter on the roof. He could hear shots being fired and he wondered if that was Dean doing as he promised he would.

"Seth, Dean. Do you read?" Romans voice crackled through the walkie-talkie at his belt. His voice was frantic and full of worry. "Someone fucking answer me!"

Seth pulled it free just as the blades began whirling above them. "Roman, I'm here."

There was a sigh of relief through the speaker, "Thank god. Is everyone safely on board? We're blowing the building in two minutes."

Seth hesitated, chancing one last look at the roof entrance door. Maybe Dean would come running through. Maybe he would push through like he always had. Maybe things weren't as hopeless as he thought they were. But no one came through. Dean was holding up his end of the bargain and so would he.

"We're lifting off in 30 seconds." Was what he said. He couldn't bring himself to say what he knew to be true. Dean was either dead already or about to die. He wondered to himself if this is how Dean was supposed to go. He always seemed like the go down in a blaze of glory type. But, the thought of him lying in that hallway, alone, with no one there to comfort him, no one to tell him it would be ok, no one to hold his shaking hands hurt him more than anything.

He glanced into the back of the chopper. Nikki was clinging onto Evy as she screamed for her father and pulled and tugged to get free, little arms reaching for nothing. Nikkie was yelling for him to go! Get them out of here!

"Seth, do you have everyone?" Roman crackled through again. "I repeat, do you have everyone? The charges are set. You need to take off now!"

"Dean is down." He said finally, his voice cracking with emotion at saying it out loud. He pulled back on the stick and the chopper lifted gently into the air. "Blow the building."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line and he knew Roman was in shock. The large Samoan would hesitate, of course he would, but he needed to do what was necessary. "Roman, did you hear me!?"

"Y-yes. Yes." He came through, his voice obviously overcome with emotion. Then he heard his friend speak to someone, "hit the switch in 10 seconds."

Seth was airborne when the explosion ripped through HQ, sending a shockwave through the air strong enough for him to almost lose control. The red and orange flames darkened the sky and, for the briefest of moments, hung in the air. Then, the foundation buckled and the building collapsed in on itself. Any of Vince's men trapped inside would have been killed, any HQ men still inside would have met the same fate. Thankfully, Paige made it out with Roman. He had that small solace at least. But, he didn't choke back the tears as they began stinging his eyes. He let them fall down his cheeks at the realization that everything was gone.

Dean was gone.

* * *

a/n: sorry y'all. You know I'm not a fan of happy endings. This one was tough though. One chapter left.


	25. The End

A/N: this is it. The last chapter in the NYAS series. It had to end this way or I would have kept writing it. I loved creating this world and characters, but I gots to move on. Let me know what you think and check out my other stories if you're so inclined (or, you know, a glutton for punishment).

* * *

"Dean."

He heard her voice like a distant dream calling to him. He shifted his tear filled eyes and time seemed to stop as he met brown, kind ones staring back at him. He recognized those beautiful dark orbs, he would know them anywhere. "Abby?"

She smiled at him and ran a hand down his bloodied face, even as he stared at her in utter amazement. She looked exactly like he remembered her, beautiful and happy. She looked at him with all the love he mirrored back. She was wearing white. She was always wearing white. "It's time to let go."

"Are you real?"

She smiled again and lifted his head gently, only to kiss his lips tenderly. He felt hers on his, felt her hand caress his face, and as he reached out, he felt her. That was when he broke down, tears freely falling down his face in relief, happiness, joy. She was there? She was really there, or was his dying mind coping? He didn't care. He didn't fucking care! "I missed you so much!"

"I know." She said and pulled him into a warm embrace, stroking his hair comfortingly. "But it's over now. You did so great with Evy. Didn't I tell you you'd be a great father?"

"Will she be alright?"

"She'll be fine." She whispered in his ear and he breathed a sigh of relief. She took his face gently in her hands and directed him to look at her. "She'll grow up, she'll love, and she'll live to a ripe old age. She'll be happy."

"Unlike us."

She smiled sadly, "We were a tragedy, despite our best efforts. We were always meant to be an epic, fleeting love, doomed from the get go. But, doomed or not, I wouldn't have traded any of it. You were, and always will be, my Knight in Shining Armor. I Love you, Dean Ambrose."

He looked at her and smiled, the pain in his side forgotten, the hurt forgotten, everything forgotten. There was nothing at the end of everything except just him and her. He knew everything would be alright when he heard the helicopter overhead. Seth had done it, Evy was safe. He looked Abby in her beautiful brown eyes, kissed her, and let go.

* * *

 **...20 years later...**

"You look beautiful," he said, leaning against the door. Evy turned and smiled, looking so much like her mother on her wedding day. Then, Seth was merely a groomsman, today he was walking her down the aisle.

"Thanks Uncle Seth." She replied and gave a little turn, her blond curls swaying with the folds of her dress. Then she stopped and looked at him and he was struck by how much she reminded him of Dean. That same tenacity masked by a mischievous smirk.

"Roman told me you're starting at HQ after your honeymoon." He said, the touch of concern in his voice not lost on her, not with how she was always so good at reading people.

"Intelligence Division, Uncle Seth." She answered, though seemingly slightly disappointed by that fact. "I wanted to apply for Shield, like my father. He was the frist Shield Captain afterall. I felt like I owed him that much."

"I know." He responded with a small, sad grin. "And you would have made a wonderful Shield agent."

She eyed him suspiciously, much like her father used to do. "You told them not to admit me, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry Evy. You're father would have wanted you to make it on your own and not just as his legacy. As head of HQ, I made an executive decision. You're more suited for the intelligence division. Roman will make sure you live up to your potential there."

She crossed her arms over her chest and sank into the small couch she was provided by the church. He pushed off the doorway and walked to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He held out a small rectangular box to her, "Look, I don't want you to be mad at me for trying to protect you. I wanted to give you your gift early."

She took it and held it in her hands, eyeing the package. "What is it?"

"Open it and find out."

She tore off the wrapping paper and cardboard, only to stop. Her hand shot to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. "You found it?"

"It was in one of your father's old notebooks." He answered. "Roman found it when they were cleaning out HQ storage before they moved to the new building."

In her hands, cradled ever so gently between her fingers was a photograph. One she thought she had lost years ago. One precious to her as the breath in her lungs. It was the photo that sat on her bookshelf in the home she shared with her father before he died, the one of him and her mother dancing at their wedding. Seth watched her happy tears fall and took her face in his hands to wipe them away with his thumb. "I thought they should be here with you today. They loved you so much."

"I forget what he sounded like." She said suddenly.

Seth laughed, "He was gruff, and a bit of a crazy person. He made me promise not to let you date anyone like him. I think I've accomplished that, Alexi turned out to be a wonderful man."

"Tell me about him again?"

Seth kissed her on the forehead. "Later. You're getting married!"

* * *

Two weeks later Evy arrived at the HQ building and stopped in the entranceway to look around the new, expansive space. Directly in front of her was a large reception desk where she was to check in before being directed to Roman and the intelligence division. But to her left was a wall of photographs. And inscription above them read 'For those whose names won't be forgotten'.

She took a moment to scan the large wall, almost staggered by the amount of photographs she found. Some she recognized, some she didn't. All were accompanied by a small epitaph. There was Dolph, who was killed in action when she was 15; Antonio Cesaro was killed on a mission not long after that; and William Regal who died only a year ago. He was like the grandfather she never knew and she missed him dearly.

Yet, one photo stood out amongst the rest. It was the one photo she had been longing to see. She approached it and smiled, running her fingers over the glass. "Hi daddy."

He looked so young in this picture. He couldn't have been much older than she was at the time. He was looking straight ahead, his blue eyes mischievous and, somehow, happy. He was dressed in the traditional Shield gear, the same uniform given to Agents today. She sniffed back the tears as she read the inscription below his photo:

 _Captain Dean Ambrose. Shield Division. Died in the line of duty protecting other agents. Survived by his daughter, Evylina._

"Evy!" She heard a familiar voice call.

Roman was walking toward her as she turned around. She was always struck by how he always seemed to look so youthful, even in his middle age. His black hair was only just beginning to grey at the temples and his movements weren't quite as sharp as they had been once, but she would dare anyone to try and best him. He was former Shield after all. He stopped next to her and shook her hand, a very professional gesture as opposed to the large hugs she remembered growing up.

"Are you ready for your first day as a spy?" He asked with a playful wink.

She laughed slightly, "Yes, I was just saying hello to my father."

Roman regarded the photo sadly, "I wish he could have seen what you've become."

"Me too, Uncle Ro."

"He deserves more than a photo on a wall." He added sorrowfully. "He saved all our lives that day. Your father was a great man, though he'd probably call me some ribbing name for being so sentimental. For someone who started from such a terrible place, he did great things that no one will ever know. No one but us."

"He used to tell me stories about your adventures." She said with a sad smile. "I can't remember much of them now."

"Maybe that's for the best." Roman said. "Besides, it's time for you to make your own. I'll take you to your desk and Seth will be down shortly to greet you."

Roman led her through the new building to the intelligence wing. There, he took her to a desk, a nameplate that read Evylina Ambrose sitting on the wood surface. They remembered that she opted to keep her last name after she got married.

As she settled into her seat, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Reaching into her bag, she produced the photo her Uncle had given her on her wedding day and placed it next to the computer screen. Her mother and father should be here with her.

She hoped wherever they were, they were still dancing like in the photo.

Happy together.

Forever.


End file.
